Kurama's Secret
by einstinette
Summary: Secrets. Everyone had them. We all have things that we'd like to hide in our closets. Things that would humiliate or even ruin us.Secrets damage the fabric of life.this account is about a certain fox who did have a secret with the power to destroy. R R
1. Chapter 1

Kurama's Secret.

Chapter 1

Prolouge: Everyone has them

_A/N:_

_Okay, this is another Yu yu Hakusho fic. I hope that you enjoy it._

_Setting:_

_After Sensui, but as if the demon world episodes never happened._

_Disclaimer: _

_I don not own Yuyu Hakusho or Hiei *pout*._

Third person POV:

Secrets. Everyone had them. We all have things that we'd like to hide in our closets. Things that would humiliate or even ruin us.

Some of these secrets are small and insignificant. Like having a love of sweets. These tend to hurt no one and are perfectly normal in hindsight.

Some people have secrets that they use to fit in. Like the girl who's really poor, but pretends to be rich to garner friends. These secrets are a bit more dangerous. They tend to blow up in one's face and cause trouble. Because at the end of the day, she'll still be poor and alone.

Then others, have secrets to protect their friends. Like the adddict that won't reveal their addiction because they know that their family will suffer. Like a friend who just bought a new sweater. It looks awful, but you can't hurt her so you tell her that you love it. Or the mother that buys her child his new skates even though she knows that she can't afford them. Just because she wants him to be a happy child who had evertthing that she couldn't.

However, on the other had there are the large secrets that if discovered can destroy you. Secrets like cheating on one's spouse or being a murderer. You never want these things to come to the light, and would do almost everything to keep them contained. Thankfully, most people do not have secrets such as this.

Secrets have extraordinay powers. The person who knows them may do as he or she wishes. They actually control the secret-holder. Imagine, a puppet being pulled by a string. Now imagine that that puppet is you. Was whatever you were hiding, worth it? To be a slave to the masses?

Now to an important question that everyone should ask themself. Should one have secrets? To be fully honest, no we shouldn't. Secrets damage the fabric of life. Yet without them, are we really human? Do we even exist? Secrets. A necessary evil or maybe just evil.

However, this account is about a certain fox who did have a secret. The kind with the power to destroy. The power to destroy. If kept then it was nothing more than a blotch on his psyche. But if it was ever discovered then it could tear the fox and his group of friends apart.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! My third Yu yu Hakusho fanfiction! I hope that it was good. I hope you guys enjoyed it. **

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	2. Preparations

Chapter 2

Preparations

Third person POV:

It was an average day in the Minamino home. Shiori was running from place to place in the kitchen. She went from washing dishes to checking on the dinner that was cooking away in the oven.

Down the hall in the largest bedroom sat a boy. A boy with long, unnaturally red hair that caressed his back. At the moment, he was engrossed in a particularly lengthy autobiography.

Not everything is what it appears to be. Anyone looking into the window would see a studious boy in a loving home. But anyone who knew the real story would see a fox demon stuck in the guise of a human's body. Yet, this small detail has little effect on his overall personality. However, his personality is not the main focus of the moment.

"Shuichi, you should start getting ready for your company," his mother called to him.

"Yes mother," he responded in his casual and mannerable way. He sighed regretfully as he placed his mark in the book. Then, he made his way to his bureau to find something that his mother might deem suitable for guests. The spirit fox found a pair of dark dress pants and a white dress shirt. And he pulled them on.

"Ahh, you look so handsome," Shirori smiled from the door way. She loved her son very much and he always made her very proud.

"Thank you mother," he smiled back. "I hope that you enjoy your trip."

"I will, Suichi. Thank you so much for sending me." She was so proud of her serious son. Not to mention that she was happy. He was sending her on a three month cruise adventure.

Yes, she was excited, but at the same time she was worried about leaving him at home alone. Some part of her felt that he could be seriously hurt. That there was danger out there for him. So, she was very happy that her son's friend was going to stay while she was gone. Perhaps that would keep him safe and out of trouble.

"You're quite welcome, mother. It was nothing." She smiled again, and moved on to fine tune dinner. Kurama settled back into his chair and continued to read.

Soon after, there was a gentle 'tap tap' on the door. The fox sighed. He was never going to finish his book. None the less, he replaced his bookmark and went to open the door.

He flung it open to reveal a short, blue-haired boy with piercing and somewhat frozen blue eyes. His clothes were... odd to say the least. His shirt was made of a loose black overshirt with a long-sleeve mesh top under it. And his pants were black and of the same loose, black material.

"Hello Touya. How are you?" Kurama smiled, his green eyes flashing brightly. He was glad to see the young ice master.

"Hello, Suichi. Quite well and how about you?" Touya asked. He stumbled over the name, because he wasn't used to it.

"Delightful. Now, please come in," the fox smiled.

Touya, the young ice master, stepped past his friend his eyes darting and taking in everything that was going on around him. "You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you. Though, I can take little credit. My mother is the decorator."

"Don't be modest, Suichi," Shiori smiled from the kitchen doorway where she had been watching the boys interact. Ah, the small young man was so very much like her son. The strange colored hair and the serious demeanor. "You've done a lot of the decorating around here."

She approached the small man warily. "Hello," she grinned. "I'm Shiori Minamino and Suichi's mom."

"My name is Touya," the ice demon replied, shaking her hand gently. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Minamino."

"You too dear." She turned to her son. "Dinner will be ready soon. I trust that you're hungry, Touya?"

"Yes ma'am," he replied shortly and quietly.

"It should be ready in about fifteen to twenty minutes. Until then, I suppose that you two want to catch up." And with that, she went back into the kitchen to finish her work.

"Perhaps, we should go back to my bedroom?" Kurama didn't want his mother to accidentally overhear their conversations. Touya nodded and followed his friend down the hall to a closed door. The fox threw it open and stepped inside.

Touya was impressed. This room was large in comparison to his previous lifestyle. The walls were paneled with numerous book shelves that were all fileld to capacity. The desk was neat with a few pictures of family and friends. He was very surprised to see a picture of himself and Jin.

Then he turned around and saw the large bed that dominated the center of the room and the massive window that overlooked the city.

"Please, have a seat," Kurama offered indicating a second desk chair that was directly across from him.

The ice demon complied, sittign on the end with his back straight. Kurama sat opposite him in the same way. Posture was very important to them both. It showed that they were proud, and ready at a moment's notice. "So, where is Jin today?"

Jin, the windmaster, was always with Touya. To see one was to seethe other. So, having Touya and no Jin was ...strange.

The icemaster smiled at the thought of the red-head. "He stopped off tot alk to Yusuke. He should be here soon."

"And how are the two of you doing?"

"Very well. Everyday's somehting different." He couldn't help but smile. Jin had a way of doing that to him.

"I'm happy for you."

"Thank you."

"I suppose you're wondering why I invited you over?" Kurama said, finally beginning the topic at hand.

"Of course, I was surprised and intrigued," the boy admitted. "What do you need?"

"I have to leave town for a short amount of time," the fox explained.

"Where are you going and how long will you be gone?" Touya asked, already clearing his mental schedule for the next two or three weeks.

"Demon world. And as for how long... I'm not quite sure. No more than a month barring any unfortunate incidents." Unfortunate meaning fatal. Though, Touya knew that very well.

"Demon world?" Touya was surprised. As of a few weeks ago, Demon world had been sealed by a Kakai barrier. No demon abouve a D class could cross over anymore. "But the Kakai."

"Come now," Kurama chided, smirking slightly. "We both know that there are entranced everywhere if one knows where to look." The young man had to agree with that. Not even the SDF could seal all the holes into and out of Demon world. It was impossible.

"May I ask, what is so important that you're willing to risk not being able to come back?" It seemed almost like an unnecessary risk. THe fox had everything. What more could he want? What was worth losing everything that he had worked for?

"I intend to procure the seeds of a very important plant."

"All of this for some seeds? Is that really wise?"

"Perhaps not," the fox conceeded. No, it was not wise, but none the less he planned to continue. "But it is of a vital importance. Trust me, I would not make the trip if it was not really necessary."

The ice master sighed deeply. He was well aware of the fact that Kurama would not go if there was not a reason. It must be of the utmost importance. Now, he just had to decide whether or not to agree to do anything to assist him in his endeavor. "What do you want me to do? Watch over your mother while you're gone?"

"No, I'm sending her on a three month vacation get away. I just need you to check in on Yusuke and the others from time to time. Make sure that they're not doing anything stupid."

"With Jin here?" Touya scoffed. "That battle's lost before it even begins." Everyone knows that when you get those two together then there was guarenteed to be fireworks and property damage.

"True, but you can at least try to minimize the overall damage." Of course, the fox knew that that would not happen either. Chances were that it would be worse than ever with the ice master involve.

"Fine. I'll do it for you," Touya said. And he knew that he would have done it anyway from the beginning. He just had to bait him first.

"Excellent. If the two of you need a place to say, then you are welcome to stay here," Kurama offered, sitting back in his chair for the first time since he had sat down. Ah, the joys of getting what one wants. Nothing could compare.

"Thank you." And Touya also sat back. "Though, I do wonder about one thing."

"And that would be?" The fox leaned forward again out of curiosity.

Touya allowed a rare snicker to leave his lips. "Does Hiei know that you're leaving?"

A slight blush crossed Kurama's face. Surprisingly, he had not been expecting to be asked that. "It doesn't concern him."

"I'm sure that he would disagree," the boy smiled. This was some of the most fun that he had had since he dropped Jin off.

"Perhaps. But Hiei need not be privy to anything involving entrances to demon world." And it was true. If he was then he would be sure to make his escape as soon as possible. Which would be detrimental to him and his current free status.

"I understand. But maybe you should think on whether or not it's _**his**_ best interest that you have in mind."

"And what are you implying?" Kurama demanded. Though he already knew. This was not the first time that they had had an argument like this. Nor would it be the last.

"That maybe you don't want Hiei to leave _**you**_."

Before the fox could say anything else on the matter, he was inturrupted. "Suichi, Touya. Dinner is ready."

"Saved by the bell. I suppose that we'll finish this later," he smiled.

"Of course. After a brief reprieve, we'll continue this and I'll get the answer that I want," the ice master smiled, as he stood. This time, Touya was the one to lead the way into the kitchen.

"We'll see about that," Kurama muttered with a smile on his face, knowing that he could be heard. "After all this game has just begun." And he exited his bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him. He then entered the kitchen with a smile on his lips and the glitter of excitement in his eyes.

Ahh, there's nothing like the thrill of a new mental competition with an equal. Let the games begin!

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! My third Yu yu Hakusho fanfiction and my first real chapter for it! I hope that it was good. I hope you guys enjoyed it. **

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	3. Departure

Chapter 3

Departures.

_RECAP:_

_ "We'll see about that," Kurama muttered with a smile on his face, knowing that he could be heard. "After all this game has just begun." And he exited his bedroom, pulling the door shut behind him. He then entered the kitchen with a smile on his lips and the glitter of excitement in his eyes._

_ Ahh, there's nothing like the thrill of a new mental competition with an equal. Let the games begin!_

**Third Person POV:**

"I think that's everything," Kurama muttered, zipping up the small bag that he would be living out of for the next few weeks.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," chuckled the blue-haired figure that was crouched on the fox's bed.

"Very true. Though I doubt that Youko would agree with you."

Touya was somewhat surprised. He had heard nothing of the fox's demon side since Sinsui had been defeated. As far as he knew, there was no further contact. "He's still in contact with you?"

Kurama covered his mouth to conceal his chuckle. "Of course. He's always right there inside of me."

"Charming," the ice demon commented. "Does he have anything to do with why you have to go to Demon World all of a sudden?"

"No," the fox laughed. "I really do have to gather some rather important plants."

"And I don't suppose that you'll tell me what these plants do?" he asked expectantly.

Surprisingly enough, Kurama's voice froze over a bit. "No."

"And you won't tell me where it's located or what it's called either, will you?"

"Sorry, but no."

Touya sighed. It was not like he had expected anything different. Kurama was a very secretive man, and would rather take it to his death. "If you're sure then. When will you be ready to go?"

"In the next ten minutes," And Kurama's award-winning smile was back as if it had never disappeared.

"And you haven't told Hiei anything?" the ice demon hedged.

"No. I do it once a year. So, Hiei should be expecting it," he couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how Hiei would react. His prediction was the possible uprooting of several trees.

"You know how he's going to react when he comes here and sees that you're gone?"

"Yes," the fox chuckled. "Perhaps you could tape it for me." And at that they both shared a laugh. Of course, it was obvious that the camera would be in shreds as soon as the fire demon had seen it.

"No thank you. I'd rather not have another sword fight with him." Touya's mind went back to the last time. The ice sword had been parried by the fire demon's blade and tthe cool feel of the blade that he had felt against his neck. It was not fun.

Kurama flashed the boy a smirk. "I suppose I should be leaving now." He hefted the pack unto his shoulder and led the way outside.

The two boys stood in the bright sunshine under a large tree. "Good-bye Kurama," Touya said with a small wave.

"Come now, Touya. You act as if I'm leaving forever. 'See you soon' may be a more apt parting sentiment."

The ice master smiled a bit. Of course, Kurama would leave after giving him directions on the proper way to say good-bye. A possibly permanent good-bye. "See you soon, Kurama."

"And the same to you, Touya," Kurama waved as he started off, his shoes clicking on the sidewalk.

The ice master continued to watch the red-headed boy until he had faded out of sight. His thoughts were so preoccupied that he didn't even hear the thump as a figure descended from the trees. He still didn't notice. That is until two fingers jabbed into his sides from both directions.

As a Shinobi, he had been trained to have lightning fast reflexes, and had not lost them during the time in the light. He spun around in a move so fast that it didn't even exist. He was confronted with a large, goofy grin stretched across a tanned face. A deep pair of dark blue eyes blazed with cheer. The man's long, wild, red hair bounced along with him as he swung almost hitting Touya with his horn.

"Jin. Where'd you come from and when did you get here?"

"Ah Touy. Ya' know I came from me mum," he chuckled. "Got here a while ago, I did."

"So, why didn't you tell me that you were here?" Touya demanded angrily. He would have loved to know that he was there. It would have made things slightly more enjoyable.

Jin jumped nimbly from the tree and landed in front of his favorite person in the world. "I wanted to surprise ya," he grinned, wrapping the smaller man up in a hug.

"You did. As usual," the ice demon smiled.

"So, Kurama's gone, is ee'?" the windmaster asked, getting to the roor of why they were there.

"Yes. He's gone. I wonder what he's going to do."

"Didn't ya' hear im. Ee's going to get some plant, he is," Jin said, surprised that Touya was so... dense today. That was usually his forte, and did not suit Touya in the least.

"I heard him, Jin. But why would he risk his life to get a single plant?" he wondered, scratching his chin. "I'm sure that he does need a plant. But the question is: why? What's so special about it?"

"Oh, I don't know Touy," Jin sighed. "It's his business, not ours."

"Maybe... maybe not," Touya muttered, his eyes flashing with a deep blue energy. He had to find out what was going on. He was not the type to stay in the dark.

"Touy!" Jin fussed in his 'stern' voive. He knew that look in Touya's eyes and he knew what it meant. "Ya can't meant to be followin' im."

"Jin, I have to. He could be in real danger."

"Ya don't even know _**how**_ to get back into Demon World."

And he was right. That may have been a problem if it had been anyone but Touya. "If I leave now then I can follow him," Touya said. He was determined. He was going to leave. With or without Jin's support. Though he'd rather have it.

"Ya' don't have any extra clothes, ya don't." It was pitiful, but it was one of Jin's few choices. And one has to take the availiable choices.

"We lived as Shinobi for decades. Lack of clothes won't stop me, and you knew that before you even said it."

Jin nodded. Touy was right as usual, but it wouldn't stop him. Nothing could stop a determined Touya. Not even him, and he was wise enough to know that. "Are ya' sure about this?"

"Of course. I always am."

"Can I come, Touy? Please, please?" Jin begged. He was almost ready to get down on his knees if it meant that he could go.

"Sorry Jin. Someone has to watch over Yusuke and Kuwabara. Not to mention keeping Hiei calm." Jin gulped at that last part. He was definitely _**not**_ excited about trying to keep Hiei calm. That was not going to end well for anyone that was there.

"Aww, do I have to?"

"For me?" The ice master pleaded, stepping into the windmaster's arms. "Please?"

"O...okay. I'll be lettin' ya go now, but ya better be careful. And don't be gettin' hurt," he warned. He let no doubt in Touya's mind that he was going to be very angry if anything happened to his small friend. And goodness knows that you don't want to make Jin angry at you.

"I won't. See you soon, Jin," Touya said, leaning forward and pecking Jin on the cheek. "Love you."

"Aye. I love ya' too." And he blushed slightly from the contact.

Touya was just getting ready to take off after the fox when Jin said something that he had been thinking about. He hadn't wanted to think about it, but it was much too late for that.

"Touya?"

"Yes Jin. What is it?" the ice master replied with his usual patience. Of course, one had to have patience to even think about talking to Jin the Windmaster.

"Have ya' thought about what if ya' don't get back to this world?"

Touya sighed. He didn't want to answer this question. He didn't want to hurt Jin, but he had to give him some peace of mind. "I have. But I have to know what's going on, and besides, he may be in danger. I have to help him if he is."

Jin sighed again. "Aye, I know. I just wish I was going with ya'."

"I know." And Touya did, but he couldn't add anymore to this. He couldn't seem weak and allow Jin to go. If one of them had to get stuck there then he would rather that it be him.

"Ahh, off with ya'," the windmaster shooed. "And ya' better be careful."

"I intend to be," Touya smirked. He grinned as he tuned, running down the sidewalk after the clear, definite, scent of the fox. If he continued on at this pace then he should just stay out of reach of the fox's senses. Now it was just a game of cat and mouse that Touya was determined to win.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! My third Yu yu Hakusho fanfiction and my second real chapter for it! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys enjoyed it. **

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	4. Dreams and Desires

Chapter 4

Dreams and Desires

_RECAP:_

_"Ahh, off with ya'," the windmaster shooed. "And ya' better be careful."_

_ "I intend to be," Touya smirked. He grinned as he tuned, running down the sidewalk after the clear, definite, scent of the fox. If he continued on at this pace then he should just stay out of reach of the fox's senses. Now it was just a game of cat and mouse that Touya was determined to win._

Third Person POV:

Touya glided behind Kurama as easily as most people breathe. He stayed just out of reach of the fox's nose. Eventually, after passing towns and the country side, Kurama made it to the entrance of Demon World. To look at it was to just see another patch of sky. The only difference was a slight shimmering haze that any human or demon could pass by if they didn't know exactly where to look.

Touya sighed to himself considering for a moment what he was about to do. Namely, hurl himself into a place that he had tried his entire life to escape. Obviously he was seriously damaged in some awful way. Of course, that's what Jin always said. And he was still right.

Touya sighed yet agian and hurled himself through the opening shock of being fully immersed in pool of cold water. Then just as suddenly, it was over.

He was standing in the middle of a barren forest that he knew fairly well. He looked up at the ever present red sky with the slight yellow streaks. "Home sweet home," he murmered sarcastically.

From what he could see, he was in the Forest of Despair. As far as he knew, the only realy plants here were the ones that would eat you. So, most likely this was not his stop.

The ice demon brushed himself down and took off through the tree tops after the faint scent of fox. They continued to run all of that day and all of the next until Kurama came to rest at a large and beautiful river. It was a deep, ble that shined and glistened like a perfect diamond.

Touya was well versed with this particular section of river. There were two very famous, very beautiful rivers in this portion of Demon World. The River of Desire and the River of Dreams. In actuality, these rivers were only one river.

The river was a very old, very powerful body of water. To sleep near to or drink of the River of Desire was to see nothing more or less than the chief and deepest desire of one's heart. On the other hand, the River of Dreams, allows you to dream. Not the normal dreams of sleeping, but he dreams of reality. In fact, it is so powerful that the dreams are often of things that are to come.

To drink or bathe at the juncture of these rivers would be... amazing. One could see their heart's desires and see if any of those were remotely possible.

Apparently, that is what Kurama planned to do, but Touya was worried. Only a few of the most powerful and greedy demons dared to visit this place. While some dreams are harmless... others are so horrible and grotesque thth they had been known to lead to insanity and suicide.

This was why Touya was internally warring with himself. Could he risk this? At any time, he could reveal himself, take his punishment, and stop the fox from doing anything foolish. Or he could be there, watch out for potential problems and stop them.

Then an important thought occured to him, and cemented his decision. He realized that according to Kurama himself, he had been coming here for years. Years. Chances are that he repeated this ritual every time that he came. if nothing had happened to him ye, then it was best to wait until he was really needed. And obviously, this was not the time. He climbed into a tree and sat, lying in its boughs so that he could see everything that the red-head did.

For quite a while, the fox moved aorund, setting up his camp. Then finally, he removed all of his clothes. His tan skin shining as he entered the water. He was standig in the middle of the river, right at the juncture of the two. He submerged himself. A few bubbles rose to the surface. He stayed down there for what seemed like a long time before gracefully breaking the surface of the water. His red hair clung to his back and hung in his face.

Kurama quickly made his way back to the shore. He stepped out of the water leisurely as if he had all of the time in the world and walked onto the grass. He pulled on his pants, but left off the shirt. Then the fox laid down in the grass under the warm sun. It took a while, but eventually his breath deepend as he slept.

Now Touya just sat in his tree, watching the fox and wondering what on earth he was dreaming about.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 4! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys enjoyed it. **

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	5. What Happened?

Chapter 5

What Happened

_RECAP:_

_ Kurama quickly made his way back to the shore. He stepped out of the water leisurely as if he had all of the time in the world and walked onto the grass. He pulled on his pants, but left off the shirt. Then the fox laid down in the grass under the warm sun. It took a while, but eventually his breath deepend as he slept._

_ Now Touya just sat in his tree, watching the fox and wondering what on earth he was dreaming about._

**Third Person POV:**

Touya woke up the next morning to see the sun shining and a certain fox packing up his things. The fox's face seemed deeply troubled. Perhaps his night of dreams had not gone as he had expected. Well, at least he had not gone mad. Or rather any madder than usual.

About fifteen minutes later, Kurama was all packed and ready to leave. And of course, so was Touya. The two set off and ran for hours straight. They passed a field and a small valley. From there on out, they were in a dense green forest.

The running contined on until they were in a large rectangular clearing. The clearing contained hundreds of different types of plants and flowers that seemed to sparkle and glow as if on fire.

The ice demon had no idea of how Kurama could possible find one flower in this deep sea of plants. However, Kurama had no such problems. The fox headed straight for a tree that was tucked away into a corner. He knelt at its base and sifted through every color and type of plant.

The red-headed man's face shone as he picked three plants from the ground. They were obviously what he was looking for. One could tell from the look of pure joy on his face.

As he looked, at the flower Touya was surprised that he could have looked overit. It was made of a fine, ice-like crystaly that acted as a prism, throwing rainbows about the clearing.

"Beautiful," Kurama breathed as he set to work. He took the center of the flowers and ground them down to a powder. And then he chopped the petals very finely before making those into the same powder. Then he pulled out two green canteens. He put the sparkling powder into one and poured some water from the river into the other. he then added a few more packets of things from his pack. He shook the canteen before opening it again and drinking it dry.

At first Kurama seemed fine. Perhaps even satisfied. And that's when the fox's back stiffened. He fell twitching to the ground. A dark colored, sweet-smelling smoke flowed from his sking and blocked his body from view.

Touya knew that this was the time. This was when he should act. He was on his feet and running towards his friend, before his brain could even rationalize it.

The smoke was thicker than Touya had imagined. So thick that he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Thankfully, the ice master did not need his eyes to see. Just as he was pulling in energy to find Kurama, the smoke cleared as suddenly as it had appeared. Without a second to waste, Touya located the red-head's body and knelt down beside him.

The small demon almost staggered back from what he saw. Lying where is friend had been was a beautiful woman. Yes, her hair was the same color, her height was very close to being right, and they even smelled somewhat similar. But she was still female. The large breasts adorning his, or rather her chest seemed to emphatically state that this was _**not**_ Kurama.

The ice master knelt there deliberated, on whenter or not to take this stranger away. She may or may not be Kurama. On the other hand, could he really afford to leave her here alone? Could she survive out here if someone or something attacked her?

As he thought this, the young woman mewled out in agony, too far gone to even scream. That sound pulled something in the ice demon's heart and he made a spontaneous desicion. He grabbed the woman and gently threw her across his back. Then, he took off running as far and as fast as he possibly could. He knew exactly where he was running to, but at the moment his thoughts were on the girl. He didn't know what was really going on, but he was going to find out.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 5! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. **

**I'm going to keep udating as soon as I possibly can which isn't very often because of computer issues. Hopefully I'll get it worked out soon.**

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	6. Touya's secret

Chapter 7

Touya's Secret and Kurama's Breakdown

RECAP:

_"Hmm. Now, I'm somewhat curious. What's your secret?" Kurama asked, knowing that she was not going to get an answer. Only a fool would willingly reveal their deepest secret, and Touya was not a fool by any means._

_ "You don't expect an answer." She didn't._

_ "No, I didn't," she smirked. "Now I'm going to take a nap." The whole while she was fighting back a yawn. Her body was shutting down to heal itself. In a few seconds, she was going to crash._

_ "Okay. I'll go find us some dinner," And Touya stood up, stretching out his muscles. He ran out of the cave, his mind full of topsy-turvy thoughts and conflicting ideas. All the while, Kurama was snoring gently on her warm little cot._

**Third Person POV:**

_Two hours later..._

Touya was excited as he looked down at the large bushel of vegetables, fruits, and fish that he had managed to gather. He just hoped that Kurama would enjoy it. When he entered teh cave, he say said fox with her knees tucked in to her chest. He was not the most experienced with this sort of thing, but she seemed to be crying.

The ice master spared no time. He dropped the bushel, ran right to her side, and began trying to soothe her. However, it was all to no avail. If anything, it just caused her to sob harder. "Shh, Kurama. Shhh, it's okay," he replied calmly while gently patting her back. "What's wrong? You were fine when I left."

Youka's head popped up, her green eyes even brighter with tears. "Yes, until I thought about how my life has been utterly annhilated by this," she sobbed gesturing down at her body.

"What? You think that being female ruined your life?" Touya demanded. He couldn't believe how she was acting. There were so many worse things than being a woman. "There's nothing wrong with being a woman."

"What would you know about it?" she screeched. In reality, Youka knew things were not quite as bad as she had made them out to be. But years of feminine hormonal backwash was making her overly emotional and... irrational.

This was the most awkward moment of the young ice master's life. How exactly was he supposed to deal with that? He sighed deeply before sitting down on the cot and wrapping his arms around the shivering frame of one of his dearest friends. "How did this... turn of events ruin your life?"

"I'll lose all of my friends over this." And her sobs got even louder, echoing off of the walls, making her sound even more shrill. Thinking something was one thing, but to actually say it out loud was much worse. To admit the truth was one of the hardest things that the fox had done. Harder than risking her life for her mother. Harder than battling the Saint Beasts. Harder than the Dark tournament. Harder than Sensui.

All the same, Touya could not help but scoff at the young woman in his arms. "If you think that you can get rid of us that easily then you've gone temporarily insane," he reassured her. "We won't abandon you. We couldn't."

"I've been lying for centuries," she confessed, leaning into his arms seeking nothing more than comfort from someone else.

"Perhaps, but that was the past. You still have the future. Make the best of it."

At this point, the tears had stopped flowing. She was coming back to herself. "You're right. I supose I knew that from the beginning. It's just these ridiculous hormones."

"Yes," Touya chuckled in relief, glad that everything was going back to normal. "I can definitely understand that." Which turned out to be the worst thing that he could have said at that particular moment.

All tears were gone and a look of anger flashed across her face. The fire in her eyes seemed like they could burn him alive. "You think **you** know what it's like to always be afraid that someone's going to figure out your big secret?"

Now, it was Touya's turn to be angry. He had listened and cared, yet she underestimated the fact that his life was not perfect. He pulled his arms away from her, stood up, and befan pacing the length of the cot. How dare she pretend that he couldn't understand? What gave **her** the right? What made **her** so special in the grand scheme of life? "What? You think that **you're** the only one with secret fears? The only one with anxieties?" he demanded. Most people would have screamed, but this silent calm way was Touya's way of blowing up. He was like an arctic storm. Seemingly harmless, but incredibly dangerous.

One would have expected Kurama to back down, but Youka Kurama was not nor ever would be known for weakness. "And what's **your** big secret then? You know mine, so be a man... what's your secret?"

It was like a cold dash of water in the ice demon's face. "Does that really even matter? Would it really stop your rampage?"

"Yes, it does matter. And perhaps it would soothe me. Though I make no promises," she smirked, her teeth glinting dangerous in the low light of the cave.

Touya sighed. Telling one's secrets is one of the hardest things that you can do. It's like going from the heat and into the fire. He couldn't tell her. But in the retrospective, how could he expect her to be honest with him if he wasn't equally honest with her? "Fine," he conceeded and began stripping.

Touya tended to wear many layers of clothing, so it was taking him a while to get down to his skin. "What are you doing?" Youka demanded, covering her eyes.

"Showing you with my secret. You wanted to know, so open your eyes!"

Kurama opened his eyes just in time to see Touy a remove his final shirt and watch it drop to the floor. Her bright eyes widened in open mouthed shock.

There instead of the muscular chest of a trained male, there was the pert, round breasts of a young female. "Y...your secret?" she gasped.

"Is exactly the same as yours. So, I'd say that I **do** know how you feel."

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 7! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way. It won't be too long, but it should be just long enough to resolve everthing.**

**I'm going to keep udating as soon as I possibly can which isn't very often because of computer issues, AP classes, and Band. Hopefully I'll get it worked out soon.**

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	7. Revelations

Chapter 6

Revelation

_RECAP:_

_ The ice master knelt there deliberated, on whenter or not to take this stranger away. She may or may not be Kurama. On the other hand, could he really afford to leave her here alone? Could she survive out here if someone or something attacked her?_

_ As he thought this, the young woman mewled out in agony, too far gone to even scream. That sound pulled something in the ice demon's heart and he made a spontaneous desicion. He grabbed the woman and gently threw her across his back. Then, he took off running as far and as fast as he possibly could. He knew exactly where he was running to, but at the moment his thoughts were on the girl. He didn't know what was really going on, but he was going to find out._

Third Person POV:

Touya ran for miles without staggering at all. At firs he was just running, knowing that this strange woman needed help. Without it, she would definitely die. And that's when common sense struck him. You could not trust anyone in demon world unless you truly knew them. Even if you did know them, sometime you still couldn't trust them. As a Shinobi, he was smart enough to know that he was out of luck.

Shinobi! That was it, he thought as he ran even faster in the same direction. Within a few minutes, he was entering a large cavern. The inside of the cavern was semi-furnished. There were a few chairs and even a soft-looking cot wedged into the corner. One could hear the distant burbling of water, most likely an undergroud spring.

The young ice demon unloaded his burden on the cot, but at this point he was at a loss. What should he do? Kurama was the med expert, not him.

Yes, as a Shinobi he had basic medical training, but he was sure that this went very much past his limited skill. Touya sighed as he tried to come to a descion. After a moment, he just decided to proceed as though this was nothing more than a common fever and possible head injury.

He went to a small, hidden cupboard that was right over the sickbed of the woman. He pulled out a cloth and wet it with cool water. He then proceeded to place it on the girl's brow to cool her down. She shuddered and moaned slightly as it made contact, but made no further movements.

Once again, Touya didn't know what to do. Administering more medicine could worsen her condition. Or doing nothing could also make her worse or even kill her. He didn't want to cause any more harm, but what could he do? After an internal war with himself, he decided to just wait and handle whatever problems arose.

The young ice master sat across from his patient with his back against the wall and his knees up against his chest. Today's events were finally catching up to the petite boy. He felt himself dozing off and could not rouse himself. His eyes were closing and slumber was covering his eyes with her warm and sweet embrace.

**MEANWHILE:**

The girl on the cot was struggling in a field of blue. There was nothing more important than breaking out, because if she didn't then she was lost. Stuck in limbo forever.

The girl continued to battle against the weight and at last seemed to be making some headway. Now, she could see a bright light in front of her. Despite all warning that anyone with common sense would have told her, she ran forward into the light.

And she made it to the light. Her body melted right through it as if it did not even exist. But then came the awful, frightening, and constricting feelings of being unable to breathe. She was drowning. She was dying. It was going to be the end of her.

That thought managed to activate her fighting senses. She swam, kicked, fought, and clawed until she hit the proverbial surface. Her large green eyes flew wide open and she sucked in a large gulp of air.

**BACK TO THE PRESENT:**

The girl knew one very important thing from all of her many experiences. Always survey your surroundings, and you could have the upper hand later. So, she lowered her lids so tha it would seem like she was still asleep. Her eyes roved the room, trying to determine where she was located and who had brought her there.

From the rock walls and cot that she was lying on, it was easy to determine that she was inside of a cave. The gurgling of a spring also showed that she was probably underground, but not very far under.

That's when her eeyes landed on the small figure that was curled up in the corner. It was a petite young man with bright blue hair and a green bang that hung in his face.

One would think that a normal woman would be screaming bloody murder. However, this was not the case of this girl. No, she was utterly calm and composed in every single way. What little apprehension that she had had evaporated when the small man called out in his sleep. "Jin!" he sighed.

"He's not here, I'm afraid," the girl responded, her voice a clear alto that seemed to chime like the tinkling of bells.

Touya's eyes flew open as soon as his brain processed the voie. Before he could even think, he was on his feet with an ice sword in his hand. Thankfully, his brain was fully on befroe he could cause any serious harm to anyone. "Ah, you're awake I see," he commented. He may have lowered his sword, but his posture did not relax. He knew too much about demons to trust a pretty face.

"I am," she replied. "I'd like to know: where am I?"

Touya considered it for a moment. It was a fair question, but this could lead to problems for others later. "You're safe and at the moment that's all that really matters," he said a bit more sharply then he had intended to.

"Yes, and I suppose I have you to thank for that," the girl replied just as sharply. She understood that he was somewhat upset, but that did not excuse his tone and she was not going to take it from anyone.

The ice demon calmed down a bit as he realized that he had been overly harsh. It wasn't her fault that she was here. "I saved you if that's what you mean."

"Thank you. Though I suppose you'd like some answers in return for your gracious kindness."

This was what the man had been waiting for. He had questions that needed answering, and maybe just maybe this wouldn't blow up in his face. "Who are you? What have you done with Kurama?"

The girl giggled quietly, and Touya felt left out. Like there was some hidden joke that was really about him. "Your nose is not very sharp, is it little ice master?"

"As sharp as any demon's and sharper than quite a few."

"Then take in my scent, Touya. You'll see that I have not done anything to Kurama. I am, in fact, Kurama also known as Suichi Minamino."

Touya's blue eyes widened. This couldn't be Kurama. The Kurama that he knew was clearly masculine in every way. No one would ever classify him as anything else.

Perhaps the only way to know the truth was to use his nose. The boy sniffed delicately. Kurama's scent was that of fox with a large overlay of roses and other sweet smelling plants. But this girl's scent... This scent was the same. Except for the fact that there was more of a flowery smell and much less fox in it. The scents matched. That girl... she really was Kurama. "Kurama!" he gasped. "It really is you. How did this happen?"

"Pollution. Its evil is not just inflicted upon humans anymore. Toxins tainted the plant of Dreams and Desires and got to me."

"The Plant of Dreams and Desires? I've never heard of it. What does it do?" the boy asked. He could feel himself being drawn into something. Something important that centered around a certain fox.

"Yes. You've heards of the River of Dreams and Desires, correct?" Kurama paused to allow her friend to nod. "Well, this is very similar though it is a thousand times more potent. This seemingly simple plant can actually bring both your dreams and desires to life."

The ice master's eyes widened. A plant that cna bring your dreams to reality? If anyone else had said it, then he wouldn't have believed a word of it. But this was Kurama. He was one of the two exceptions to almost every rule. "I've never heard of it. You'd think that every demon in Demon World would be after it."

"Correct," she praised. This teaching type of behavior was her element. And luckily, she had a lecture. "It's not well known. This particular plant is nearly impossible to find."

"Why is that?" he wondered. After all, Kurama had found it with ease. And with its distinctive look, it should be almost impossible to confuse with another.

"The plant looks different to each person. And every ttime you see it, it will look different depending on the mood, time of day, thoughts of the person etc." Kurama explained. "To find the plant one must bathe and drink of the rivers and be completely one with nature. The next day when you wake up, it will lead you right to the plant."

"Interesting," the ice demon nodded, while filing all of this away for later. Something was telling him that he would probably need it. "What did the plant look like to you?"

"The petals were bright red, heart-shaped, and seemed to be made of rubies. When angled towards the sun, the whole thing looked like it was on fire," she murmered, her eyes in a place that was very far away from the cave. A place in the forest where she had last been.

"Mmmm," Touya murmered. There was something that he wanted to say. But he didn't want to mention it in case the girl wasn't feeling as good as she seemed to be. Though, he couldn't help but think that this description seemed like a mixture of both Hiei and the fox.

"Now, may I ask: where are we?" the girl demanded. She had asked once and been thrown off, but this time she was determined to get answers.

"We're in an old Shinobi hideout. Jin and I used to stay here a lot after the tournament. It's a rather large cave that leads back to a cool spring," he explained. "Now, may I ask you another question?"

"I'm sure that you would even if I declined." At this point, Kurama was very tired of answering questions. She could feel exhaustion sinking into her worn down bones.

"Can we get you back to normal?" the boy blurted. Sitting there talking to a girl was... different. As a shinobi and even after, they had had little contact with females. In fact, it was somewhat frowned upon. Besides, why would he need feminine company in his line of work?

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?" the girl sighed. She didn't want to toell anyone her biggest secret, but it looked like she had to. Or rather she needed to if she ever wanted even the slightest peace of mind. Besides she would need the help of another rather intelligent person who could keep their mouth shut if necessary.

"What haven't I figured out?" Touya demanded angrily. He hated not knowing what was going on. He hated to know that his foxy friend kept secrets from him. It was so... awful in a way.

"_**This**_ is normal. _**This**_ is how I'm supposed to be." The fox paused, allowing Touya a moment to comprehend what she was saying.

"So, who is Youko Kurama?" he demanded.

"He's a legedary fox theif. But before him was another theif who never got caught. Our name was _**Youka**_ Kurama. I was amazing." Youka's eyes were alight with memories of the past. The thrill of the hunt and the theft. Like a constant high that she could never come down off of.

"Why did Youka become Youko?" The ice demon was in shock. The strongest man that he knew was in fact a woman and had always been so.

"That is a secret that I plan to keep close to my ample chest for now."

"I respect that. We all have our secrets." And no one knew that better than the young ice master. It was one of the few principals that truly governed his life and had done so forever.

"Hmm. Now, I'm somewhat curious. What's your secret?" Kurama asked, knowing that she was not going to get an answer. Only a fool would willingly reveal their deepest secret, and Touya was not a fool by any means.

"You don't expect an answer." She didn't.

"No, I didn't," she smirked. "Now I'm going to take a nap." The whole while she was fighting back a yawn. Her body was shutting down to heal itself. In a few seconds, she was going to crash.

"Okay. I'll go find us some dinner," And Touya stood up, stretching out his muscles. He ran out of the cave, his mind full of topsy-turvy thoughts and conflicting ideas. All the while, Kurama was snoring gently on her warm little cot.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 6! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. **

**I'm going to keep udating as soon as I possibly can which isn't very often because of computer issues, AP classes, and Band. Hopefully I'll get it worked out soon.**

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	8. Touya's Story

Chapter 8

Touya's Secret Part 2

_RECAP:_

_ Kurama opened his eyes just in time to see Touy a remove his final shirt and watch it drop to the floor. Her bright eyes widened in open mouthed shock._

_ There instead of the muscular chest of a trained male, there was the pert, round breasts of a young female. "Y...your secret?" she gasped._

_ "Is exactly the same as yours. So, I'd say that I __**do**__ know how you feel."_

** Third Person POV:**

Kurama's mouth hung open in shock. This was... unbelievable. What were the odds? "You're also a female?" She had to ask even though the evidence was right in front of her, it was still so hard to absorb. The man that she knew was in reality a woman.

"Yes, I am," Touya admitted, grabbing at the waistband of her pants. "Though if you still don't trust me..."

"I trust you!" the fox answered quickly. She had seen enough for that day.

"Good." And the young ice master plopped down next to Kurama and put a few of her shirts back on. "Though in case you're wondering, I **am **blue all of the way down." It did seem to be a bit too much, but the demon always got asked ridiculous questions like that especially from the spirit detective.

"Thank you for sharing, though it is more than I ever wanted to know," Kurama shuddered at the thought of anything that went on below her friend's belt. "So, I take it that Jin is not gay."

Touya chuckled. For one of the first times in her life, she felt relief. It was all out there. She was a woman, and there was nothing wrong with that. Now, if only she could get Kurama to feel the same. "No, Jin is one of the straightest men that I know. Strangely enough you **were** on that list."

Youka blushed, she had been expecting a dig like that to come sooner rather than later, but at least it was Touya and not Yusuke. That would have been so much worse in so many ways. "I admit that I do deserve that."

"Good. I have a few questions about that, Kurama."

The fox sighed. She had also been expecting this. "Fine. If you tell me your story then I'll tell you mine."

Touya considered it for a second. This was something that she had ben waiting for. The chance to tell and know the truth. "I agree, but you had better tell me the truth when the time comes."

"I promise," Youka grinned, showing off her sharp canine-like teeth. "Start from the beginning."

"As you've probably guessed, I was born in the Land of the Ice Maidens a long time ago. My mother was a beautiful woman named Ayame. She was loved by everyone, but never very high in the hierarch due to her somewhat radical beliefs."

"Radical?" Kurama interrupted. She didn't mean to be rude, but she was curious. "I wasn't aware that any ice maidens misbehaved."

"For the most part, they aren't. But my mother was very vocal in her ideas that men were not as evil as our people made them too be. She even went so far as to try to bring a man to our land, but failed twice before giving up.

As her hundredth birthday neared, the whole village was worried that she may conceive a forbidden son, but when the day came, the normal baby girl was born. I hear that she was beautiful with a tuft of blue hair and slanted eyes that were the color of ice. The mother apparently smiled down at the baby and whispered her name 'Touya.'

"Touya grew with the relative ease that abounded in her home land. But as soon as she was old enough, Ayame began to train her. She secretly learned martial arts, how to use ice to make basic weapons, and just plain determination. She was also instructed in the forbidden ways of men and politics. And as the girl grew, the constrictions of her life seemed all the more confining, and she began to hate her sisters.

Every night before bed, she would sit with her mother and weave wonderful stories about life outside of the village, but deep inside of her heart, the young girl knew that her mother would never leave and that she would never leave her mother. At least that's what she thought until her mother sickened and eventually died. As is custom, every sister came by to offer her condolences and to give her daughter a new home.

The child silently stewed as she accepted their apologies and offers. It wasn't until later that night that she realized that there was no longer any ties to hold her to the village. So, she stole out of bed, gathered as much food and clothes as she could carry and ran out of the house to the edge of the sky-high land that had been her home.

She glanced down and say the swirling snow, the gray sky, and the whistling wind that was threatening to throw her off of the cliff, over the abyss, and to her death. She glanced down again, and couldn't turn away. Needless to say, she was scared, but not nearly scared enough to go back to where she had come from. After all, what could be more frightening then the over sheltering confines of her day to day life.

So she took a deep breath before stepping back far from the edge, taking a running start, and jumping off of the cliff. Her arms outstretched and her body arched with the wind cocooning her body and holding her gently aloft. For one of the first times in my life, I felt the truest freedom that I had ever experienced. The ground rushed up to meet me. However, I knew that if I hit the ground then I would **not** live to tell the tale." Kurama nodded along, noticing that Touya had switched from the third person 'she' to the first person 'I'. Obviously, the girl from the Ice Village was not her, but the girl who was free is her. Interesting.

"Thankfully there was a large branching tree close by. Thanks to my training, I was able to flip around the branch and land with only minor injuries. Unfortunately, that was where my luck temporarily ran out. Up until that point, I was used to hearty meals and limitless portions. Needless to say, my food sources were depleted quickly.

The days dredged on as I managed to hobble into a small demon this time, hunger was really gnawing at my belly. So much so that I was extremely desperate for even a morsel of edible goods. That's when the idea came to me. I was going to have to steal some food. Yes, I knew it was against all of my mother's warnings, but I couldn't have survived much longer without it. And what use would my mother's warnings be to a dead daughter?

As I continued to walk through, I saw a large green bakery. Somehow, I found enough strength to stagger to it knowing that it was sheer will power that was keeping me moving. I'll never forget the smell of the inside of that place. Dough, bread, cakes, pies... they had never smelt that good before. At that moment, that bakery was as close to heaven as I could ever imagine.

I had stood there for a mouth-watering ten or so minutes before the strong, burly shop owner looked over at me. He told me that he had never seen me before and wondered what I wanted.

I put on my nicest fake smile before telling him that I wanted to see the freshest bread. He grumbled about his job as he went to the back.

Thankfully, the display case was left wide open. I reached in and grabbed as much as I could carry before running out. I ran until I just couldn't run anymore. And when I reached that point of utter exhaustion, sat down and ate. That bread... it was the best that I had ever eaten not because it was stolen but because it had just saved my life.

That's when I developed a somewhat inflated sense of self. I couldn't be caught. I had a righteous cause in my hands. So, I went from town to town not knowing that I was gathering quite a reputation around me. Though it was nothing compared to the one that you had.

Though as you know, notoriety as a there is not something to be proud of. Unfortunately, I didn't know that at the time. I delighted in the fame and in my spoils. After all, who of that age wouldn't?

One day I waltzed into a small town bakery and performed my act of asking for the freshest bread. By the time he came back, I was laughing around the corner. What I didn't know was that the people of the town were laughing at me. They had set me up to take a fall.

But I didn't know, so I sat down in the center of town eating some of my victory meal. I was so engrossed in it that I didn't notice half of the men in town approaching me. In fact, I didn't see them at all until their shadows were right over me. So, there was a little girl caught red-handed with stolen food. And needless to say, none of those men's faces were friendly. Rather they were all full of hateful and angry glares.

The largest man that was right in front of me has bulging muscles on top of muscles. He had a bald head and dangerous eyes that let me know that he would kill me as soon as looking at me. He asked in a deep, rumbling voice what I was doing in town. His voice causing me to shake even harder. I felt tears pressing behind my eyes but knew that I could not seem weak if I wanted to make it out alive.

The man asked me more questions, but I just sat there like I hadn't heard him. However, his temper was just as short as one would imagine. He grabbed me by my shirt and threw me against The rough wall as he accused me of stealing and said that he would not allow such behavior in his town.

As typical with mob mentality they all agreed. And that point was when it got worse. The man was a braggart and had to show that he was so much stronger than a child. AT least that' how I explained whey his fist connected with my stomach. I hunched over just trying to catch my breath. He waited until I had sufficiently recovered before punching me again even harder. The pain... it was worse than even The hunger.

He raised his fist again, this time aiming for my face. "I'm going to kill you. Right here. Right now," he yelled much to The crowd's joy.

Though I was not joyful. Most kids don't believe that they can die, but I had been close enough to death's door to know better than that. I knew that I **could **die, but I didn't want to. "No!" I screamed, squirming in The hope that he would drop me. But he just laughed as he raised his fist, ready to land a blow that surely would have cracked my skull.

I repeat... would have. His hand was quickly moving towards my face. "Noooo!" I screamed even louder, my eyes closed waiting for The blow to fall. But nothing happened. I warily cracked on eye opened. THE man was frozen solid AS were all of his fellow tormentors. Somehow, I managed to extract myself from his solid grasp while only breaking off two of his fingers. Needless to say, I wasted no time escaping that town all The while vowing to never steal again.

That night, I camped in a small forest, eating near a fire when suddenly two large shadows were being cast from behind me. I swung around as quickly as possible to stare up at The two men. One was young with wild brown hair and a barrel chest. He seemed even more dangerous than The man from earlier. Where as The other was pretending for The crowd, this man would snap my back in seconds and think nothing of it was The man next to him that I was more afraid of. He was shorter and old with silver hair and a seemingly ageless face. "

"W-w-what do you want?" I asked, spreading my hands in preparation to sling ice and hopefully escape with my life.

"Now, now young man." Young man. Due to my short haircut and prepubescent physique, it was easy to make that assumption. And I was too nervous to correct him. "Relax. I saw what you did to those awful men, and I can tell that you are alone. I want to help you."

As a lonely child, I was curious. There could be nothing better than getting off of The Demon World streets."How?" I murmured very quietly.

"I can take you to a place you won't have to starve any longer. Besides, there are others of your age and caliber for you to spend times with. You can be a great asset to us." I sat there thinking. What he described sounded like a family. Like a real family. A maybe like I really could be happy there.

"We'll take care of you," The old man smiled, Though it was less than reassuring. It was more like a wild cat flashing his teeth at you before he ate you alive. Thankfully, that turned out to not be The case. "All you have to do is come with us, train, and work hard. If you do then your life will forever change. If you do then you will have a family."

Family. I'll have a family... I sat there, weighing my options and trying to decide on what I was going to do. Go with him or stay here and eventually starve, because I had promised not to steal again. But if I did go, then what would I be getting myself into. "I'll go with you," I announced clearly. You might question my answer, but I was a child. What was I to do in The world all alone? Besides, if need be, how difficult could it really be to escape from one old man?

He smiled at me and told me to gather my things. I hurried to do as he asked, trying not to make him angry. After all, I was going to have to live under him for The next few years. As I gathered my things, I suppose it was somewhat lucky that I didn't have that much of anything. That allowed us to be ready to leave in less than thirty minutes.

We were ready. The three of us walked away from The campsite, and not once did I look back at what I had left behind. Though to be honest, I hadn't really left anything. My whole life was right in front of me, and I had to take it by The horns.

We continued walking for days, but I wasn't hungry at all during The trip. It was probably The worry and The fast pace that The men set. They didn't eat, and so I couldn't because I couldn't seem weak. After all, you are only as strong as The people around you think that you are.

Thankfully, we finally arrived in what is known as The 'Home of The Shinobi'. The compound was basically a forest with a large number of small cabins spread out in a circular clearing. The old master led me to one such cabin, a slight smile on his face. Not one that was jovial, but one that seemed like he was sharing some private joke with someone about me "Welcome to your new home."

He flung The door open, slinging it into The wall. As I looked around, I saw that The cabin only held The bare minimum of things. There were beds with thin mattresses, even thinner covers and what may have passed for a pillow. Next to The beds was a small dresser that was obviously intended for clothes. I saw a threadbare, red rug on The dull, wood floor. Not that I was used to much more.

"Boys, come meet your new roommate," The old man chirped happily. This time, it was getting easier to ignore The hard edge that just seemed to be a part of him. I glanced around once again, and saw a back portion of the room that I hadn't noticed before. Sitting at a handcrafted, circular table were three boys all of whom quickly got up to come and greet me.

The first boy was someone that you should recognize. Tall, thin, gaunt, and not to mention much older than The , Risho. He had a swaggering, arrogant air as he waltzed up to me. "S'up kid?" His words were not offensive, but he still seemed the be threatening me. At the time, I had no idea what I was supposed to say, so I just nodded. That caused him to raise his eyebrows like there was some doubt on the subject of my intelligence. But he didn't say anything. Just shrugged and stood back.

Next up was another tall boy. He had a crop of brown spiky hair, a scowl set in place, and combat boots. To be honest, he seemed like a future boy band star. "S'up!" Obviously, he was used to shadowing the clearly older boy and found that all of his actions were admirable.

Thankfully, he stepped out of the way to reveal the third boy. He was just a little taller than me with a wild corona of red hair, a protruding horn on his forehead, and huge, honest deep blue eyes. "Hiya mate. How are ya? Ah, I'm sure that we'll be the best of chums, we will." I was shocked, not only by what he said, but how quickly he talked. Jin barely seemed to need a breath in between sentences. At first, I found it somewhat hard to understand, but as time went on, I'd begin to understand when no one else would.

"Now that you're all acquainted, I have other things that need to be seen to. See you in The morning, boys." We all bowed respectfully to The master. As soon as he was gone, Risho and his clone plopped down on The nearest bed and began to insult me. My only thought: charming.

"We don't even know his name," The little guy began.

"Yeah, he looks like a girl. And everyone knows that girls aren't allowed in The Shinobi cabins," Risho sneered. This sneer would later be patented as his evil leer that was supposed to be intimidating. And at that time, it really was pretty scary.

I felt my throat constrict. Girls weren't allowed. What would happen if they found out that I was really a girl? Would they hurt me? Or worse, would that make me leave?

All The while, they kept talking about me. "Ya two need to cut it out, ya do. Ee's new and yer already pickin' on him. Ya should be ashamed of yerselves." Even then Jin was already standing up for me. THE two of them glared at Jin, but moved back to The table to continue their conversation. I didn't know it at The time, but it was only because he was much stronger than they would ever be and they didn't want to anger him.

The impish windmaster turned back to me with a grin. "Sorry bout that. They can be mean. I'm Jin by The way." And he stuck out his hand for me to shake.

I took it warily and shook it gently. This was strange. Most kids hugged or just did nothing. Not that I knew much about it, but I did know that kids never shook hands. "I'm Touya," I muttered quietly.

"Ah, that's a nice name. Touya. I can tell we're going to be The best of friends." I was shocked. Jin was so... loud and brazen. The exact opposite of The sneaky quiet people that I was used to. I really didn't know what to say anymore. We were very far outside of my realm of conversation. Of course almost anything was out side of The range of my conversing , Jin did not have any such problems. He could and would talk all night. In fact, he really didn't mind talking to himself as long as his mouth was moving and words were coming out of it.

He led me to my bed, right next to his and continued talking well into The night. After what seemed like forever, he got up and crawled into his bed. The boy was asleep before he even his The pillow. His mouth lolling open with his lounge hanging out in that way that he had. his loud snores echoed off of The walls, but they were more soothing than disturbing.

The bed was hard and uncomfortable, but with The help of listening to Jin's breathing was enough to get me to fall asleep. And The next thing that I knew, Jin was shaking me awake for training.

He rushed us into The center courtyard. THE morning always used to begin with basic marital arts for about five hours. At that point, we would break off into group sparring and power development. Basically, our strength was tested by fighting with our peers and finding out what our weaknesses were. Unfortunately, I was unable to find The power within. IT was impossible to push it outside of me and use. In fact, I felt lost and hollow like I had lost all of my ice powers and like they weren't coming back.

The old master matched me with person after person. I was partnered with Risho, Gama, people much older than me, and even people much younger than me. My hand-to-hand and sword skills were amazing but without powers, I was nothing in comparison to The others. And of course, this just fueled more comments about my femininity. Not only that, but The master was disappointed. I could tell that he was regretting his decision to take me in. I had to find a way to release my energy before I was back out on my own.

Yes, I had planned to do something, though I never planned what happened next. I was supposed to be sparring with one of The stronger adults that day, but somehow Jin had managed to switch with him. Not so surprising since Jin could do almost anything that he wanted. He was so cheerful that people just didn't seem to care about what or how he said something as long as he said it.

To be honest, I was very nervous. Jin had The reputation of being very good and very aggressive on The battle field. I sighed, trying to prepare myself for bruises and a beating as he launched himself at me. But surprisingly, he didn't attack me. No, he tickled my sides.

I laughed hard, partly from relief and partly from his fingers digging into me. I gasped out The word 'stop'', but he wouldn't. He only got more aggressive as time went on. "Stop!" I yelled as it got to The point where it was too much for me to handle.

But still, he would not quit. "Stop!" I screamed louder. And this time, I felt The tell-tale tug right behind my navel. Ice erupted from my outstretched palms and engulfed him. It felt like an incredible relief. It was like I had been holding my breath for a very long time and had finally inhaled again. The amount of concentration needed for that was extensive and it took so much more to reign it in and stop The ice from flowing.

When I had finally managed to stop, I looked up to see that Jin was incased in ice. My heart felt like it was being squeezed. Had I just hurt my only friend? Was he dead? Before I could really start to worry, a crack appeared in The bottom of The ice. It steadily spread to the top and split open to reveal a grinning Jin. "Good job mate. I knew ya' had it in ya, I did."

"Thank you, Jin," I smiled slightly which was almost completely unheard of in those days. Smiling. I never did it unless I was in The presence of Jin.

"Don't ya be thankin' me yet. Not till after we train."

I smirked as we both assumed sparring position. We went at it parrying each other's strikes. I was shooting at him with ice and ice shards at The same time that he was buffeting me with The wind, trying to blow me off of track. We fought on, but neither could get purchase. We were so involved on what we were doing that we did not notice The crowd gathering about to watch us.

The sky darkened, but we didn't stop. The two of us probably would have went on all night had our sensai not stepped forward and told us that it was time to quit for The night. As soon as we landed on The ground, we were surrounded by people who were cheering us on. The same people who had hated me now adored my power and even feared me a bit.

I smiled in spite of myself as Jin threw his arm around my shoulders. "Great job mate."

I grinned to myself as The days passed on by. Jin became my permanent sparring partner and my very best friend just as he had predicted that he would. Things were getting better for me. I was good at sparring, and even some of The teasing had stopped. Things like that tended to happen when you could freeze someone solid. Though, at The time, I didn't know that it was actually Jin that had a lot to do with it.

As I had said, things were going smoothly until one morning years later. As you may or may not know, Ice maidens do not slowly develop like humans do. We tend to got to sleep one way and wake up another. For example, I went to bed with a completely flat chest and woke up the next morning with a round, jigging pair of breasts. Needless to say, I was worried. Girls were the one taboo, the unallowable, and I was a girl.

My brain went into panic for a full minute, before logic took over. I glanced down at my chest. Thankfully, I was on of the thin, petite, small-framed koorime. My slim hips were very close to that of a feminine man. I could pull this off. I got up from my bed and tried to find a way to cover my new cleavage.

That's when I saw what had now become my staple. A roll of wrapping bandages. I wrapped them so tight that I could barely breathe. Thankfully, they were down to what seemed to be low enough. However, I knew that it would be better to be safe than sorry. So, I put on layers and layers of shirts, using my ice powers to cool my body temperature. No, I couldn't breathe easily, but the important thing was that my chest seemed just as flat as it always had been. And thankfully no one even noticed that anything had changed about me.

The years went by with no major incident. We were officially inducted as Shinobi an went on our first mission. It was successful and of course Jin was my partner. WE had many successful missions and had even developed a system for how to handle them. The others would go in first and if they couldn't handle it then Jin and I were sent in to clean up after them and finish up The dirty work.

On one particular day, Risho and his partner were sent in to fight a very powerful demon. Risho nearly lost his life, but managed to call out to us before he passed out from pain and loss of blood.

I remember The two of us rushing through The forest, hoping that we weren't too late to save our brothers in arms. Jin beat me to The clearing, but was slung crashing through The trees by The demon's strong and capable, scorpion-like tail.

So, now it was up to me. I started forward an The tow of us ended up engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Till this very day, I know that I could have won had I not gotten overconfident. It was my mistake back then, and that cockiness gave him The chance to cut me with The blade that I had not seen him draw. And then I was falling and hitting The ground with a loud 'bump'.

I laid there feeling my blood pump out of The deep wound with every heartbeat. The whole world was getting fuzzier and fuzzier around The edges, and I was floating away. Some part of me knew that if I closed my eyes then I would never open them again, so I fought to keep them as wide as possible. My eyes did close, and for The next ten minutes, I saw and felt nothing but darkness pressing down on me. That was when I was shaken roughly, but I couldn't summon The ability to speak.

"Touy...Touy," called a familiar voice. I opened my mouth or at least I think that I did. I was so out of it, but I still wanted to tell him that I was dying. I wanted to say good-bye, but my mouth wouldn't work as the blackness descended over my vision yet again.

To make a long story short, I woke up on the forest floor with Jin hovering right over me. "About time ya' woke up, Touya."

"Where am I?" I muttered nursing the pounding that was moving about inside of my head.

"In the forest. I've been taking good care of ya', I have." His chest puffed out proudly.

I sat myself up, propping my back up against The tree that was behind me. "Thank you, Jin."

"Ya' shouldn't be thankin' me, Touya. I know yer secret, I do."

My throat closed, and my breath hitched. "What secret? I don't have a secret."

"I know yer a girl, Touy." There he said it. He just came right out and said what he knew. There was no dancing around this anymore.

What could I do? He had seen my chest and knew the truth. The only thing that I had left was to be overly defensive. "So, you know the truth. I guess now you'll get rid of me, right?"

"Course not. I just wanted to know the truth. This is still our little secret mate."

By this point, I knew Jin as well as I knew myself. He was being honest. One hundred percent honest. "Why would you do that?"

"Yer my best friend and..." he stopped abruptly. I tried to get him to continue, but he wouldn't. Not for a while, anyway. I finally coaxed him into telling me. Apparently, he had liked me for at least a year, probably more. It had him worried. After all, he had been sure that he wasn't gay. And while it had no connotations in the Demon World, he was afraid because he had never thought of himself that way.

He was glad to know that he was secretly in love with a woman. He asked me to be his ant that very moment and that's when we kissed for the first time. I'll leave the details out to preserve your innocence. But to say the least, it was amazing.

He 'came out' a few weeks later, and we had no more real problems. Everyone accepted us as who we were and Jin never told anyone my secret.

Well, you know the rest of the story. The Dark Tournament, the light, and how we eventually found it. Together. Now we live in the bright light and enjoy it more than anything else in the world. All's well that ends well.

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 8! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way. It won't be too long, but it should be just long enough to resolve everything.**

**I'm going to keep updating as soon as I possibly can which isn't very often because of computer issues, AP classes, and Band. Hopefully I'll get it worked out soon.**

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	9. Kurama's Story

Chapter 9:

Kurama's Story:

**Third Person POV:**

"Your turn," Touya grinned. She had told her story and felt better for doing so. Now, She only hoped that the same would hold true for the fox. However, said fox was not feeling like sharing at the moment. Nor would She ever.

"I suppose a deal is a deal..." She trailed off.

"Yes, it is. I'm not going to let you back out of this." After all, She had just bared all of her painful secrets. It was only fair that the favor was returned.

Kurama sighed, cursing the persistence of the other girl. Obviously, She was going to bear it all and feel things that She hadn't thought about for centuries. She took one last, deep breath to steady herself before beginning.

"One day, long before the legendary thief, Youko, made his appearance, a beautiful female fox demon was born. Her parents named her Youka. Youka Kurama.

Her mother was beautiful with thick, long silver hair and a playful attitude. Her father had the same silvery hair and muscular build that is so prided in our species.

Both parents were very proud of their young daughter. Even as an infant, She was abnormally beautiful and abnormally intelligent. Her eyes were a bright gold, her hair was thick and seemed to shine even in the darkness. Her skin was pale yet luminescent and her body was more shapely than any child's had the right to be.

Since the girl was so comely, her mother decided at an early age that her daughter needed to become a proper lady. And so the lessons on poise, posture, cooking, and proper cleaning habits began. Youka managed to keep a smile on her face and did everything that her mother wanted her to do, but inside She was rebelling against it all. She hated all of the mundane things that She was doing, but felt that She could not and would not disappoint her parents.

The fox's life continued on in this way for years, but it all came crashing down around her. On that particular day, her father came home with a large grin on his face and news that he considered exciting. "I've found you a husband!" he shouted excitedly as if it were something to be celebrated.

My mother did as any good mother would. Before being excited, She had to make sure that it was in my best interest. "Who have you secured?" After all, what good would it do for a catch like her daughter to marry a common fox who would amount to nothing.

"Miori." Miori. He was the most handsome fox around. What would one call an 'eligible bachelor'. HE was tall with dark skin and ruddy red hair that complemented him perfectly. His two tails were always perfectly arranged and matched his haughty brown eyes. I must admit the fox was handsome to say the least. He was most women's fantasy, but I found him to be much too conservative, traditional, and just plain boring. But he was more than enough to make my mother squeal with unbridled joy as She hugged me tightly At the time, I sincerely felt like retching, but held my tongue as my dear parents celebrated our good fortune.

AS much as possible, I tried to drop hints about my displeasure. Of course, my parents shrugged it off as cold feet or pre-marriage jitters. But in my heart, I knew that I wouldn't and couldn't feel right about this. I was a poised woman. I knew style and grace. I understood math and literature to an unnatural degree, but I did not comprehend love or weddings or anything like that. No, that was more of my mother's department.

So, After that announcement, I went into a sort of depression. I ate little and talked even less. Mother described me as mopey and I would have had to agree. Nothing and no one could excite me. Yet, this did not stir the sympathy of either of my parents. Now that I look back, I realize that this is only due to the fact that they were used to this. They had been forced together, but found true love in each other. For them it worked, and they expected it to be the same for me. Unfortunately, I was nothing like either of them.

As the months went on, wedding madness hit a fever pitch. But still I was no happier. So, my parents sat down and came up with what they thought was an ingenious plan. "I know you're uneasy," She murmured, rubbing my hair and tugging on my ears gently, trying to get me to smile. "So, your father and I have scheduled a first meeting between the two of you." I looked into her face. SHE was so proud and just beaming from joy. And as for me? I was angry for one of the first times in my life.

"I don't want to be married," I told her.

"That's what you think, darling." She ruffled my hair again before getting up to prepare dinner. And that was it. No matter what I said, She wasn't even paying attention anymore. No, She was too busy hearing what She wanted to.

A week later, Miori was sitting in a chair next to me. "Welcome to our home, Miori," my mother smiled. "We'll leave you two alone." The two of them stood and left the room, leaving me with the man who was supposed to become my husband soon.

Miori grinned at me, staring with his deep, easy to read eyes. "You're even more lovely in person," he replied in his swarthy, confident voice. It was supposed to make me melt, but made me feel more like laughing instead.

"Thank you," I replied as stiffly as possible to let him see that I was fully against this.

"Aren't you going to respond with a comment about how handsome I am?" Ha. He was so arrogant. Obviously he expected me to throw myself at his feet. And obviously, if he expected that, he didn't know anything about me.

"No, I have no desire to cow-tow to you." In fact, the very thought made my stomach turn. Subservience was not my plan or my idea of an enjoyable life.

"Feisty. I like that." And he smirked cockily at me. Of course, he was used to those girls. The ones that would bow to him if he would just crook his little finger.

"I wouldn't get too used to it."

"Why not? We're going to be married soon. You'll have to accept your vote as a woman."

I snorted in a very unfeminine way. "I don't want to marry you." There. Honesty.

"Everyone else does."

"They are quite welcome to you."

He tried to defend himself and help his wounded pride. "But your mother and father have arranged for us to be together."

I giggled loudly and clearly. "That makes no difference to me."

He was visibly upset now. This was not how I was supposed to act. I was being overly-wild and this could pose a future problem if it continued. "I've had enough," he said, slamming his fist down unto his leg for emphasis. "When are you going to stop this act and take over your role as a woman?"

"This _**is**_ me acting as a woman. And sweetie, you'd better get used to it, because if I'm going to be forced to marry you, then this is how I'm going to be all of the time."

But he was not one to be undone by threatening words from a young girl. "Since I'm all that you've got, I'm sure that you'll change your tune."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"If you don't marry me, then your father and mother will be disgraced and forced to throw you're out. Yeah, you're pretty, but you have no skills and nowhere to go. But if you marry me then you'll have a stable home and a family. So, it looks like we're stuck together."

In some small way, he had a point. I knew how my mother would react if I tried to contest this. She's have no qualms about removing me from our home, but I was not going to share that essential information with my enemy."Looks can be deceiving."

Finally, he realized that playing hardball was not going to help his cause with me. So, he switched to what he was really good at. "I know you're not that crazy about this whole marriage idea, so don't think of it that way. Think about it like a... business proposition. With our looks, charm, charisma, and strength, we could rule."

"I can do all on my own. Thank you," I huffed.

"Well fine. I'll leave you with this, Youka. I'll be the best that you've ever had. You'll scram my name all night and never want another to come in your bed." And with that, he stood up and left. I'll be honest and admit that I've never been so glad to see someone leave. As soon as he was gone, my parents came in and demanded to know how things had went. And I told them again that I did not want to get married, but they persisted.

Now, there was only one week left until my ceremony, and as far as I could see I only had one option. I was going to back a bag, run away, and seek my fortune. Unfortunately, my mother knew me quite well. That night, She came into my room and caught me before I could leave. "Running away?"

"Yes mother. I can't marry him."

She sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "I know how you feel," She said. "I felt exactly the same way when I had to marry your father. Just know that this is more for your convenience and security. You don't have to let him touch you. Just go along with him and we'll keep you safe."

Now that I look back on my life, I should have ran away back then, but instead I listened. At that age, I really believed that my only wifely duties included cooking and cleaning. What a fool I was. Nevertheless, I unpacked my bag. A week later, I was married to Miori. I don't remember much of the ceremony, but one thing that I do remember is his smug smile. He wore it for the entire ceremony and on the entire walk back to my home.

My mother gave me two girts, and I will treasure them both until the day that I die. The first was a necklace made of diamonds and precious stones. It was heart-shaped and reflected the light beautifully. The second gift was perhaps worth even more than the necklace. She allowed me to stay at home for two months After the wedding while I learned her 'secret recipes' . There were none, but only the two of us knew that.

Those tow months. They were the shortest of my entire life. And at their end, I was forced to leave. I still remember the empty and hollow feelings that dwelt in the pit of my stomach as I packed my bags. Miori's home was a cave, very much like this one. Though perhaps it was a bit bigger and much more furnished. "Welcome home, honey," he grinned in satisfaction.

"Burn in hell," I told him.

"Just don't burn dinner." I thought about hitting the man, but swallowed it down and went to prepare the food After all, things would be much easier if I would just ignore his arrogance and try to keep to myself. That night, we ate in silence. Not a single word was passes, and I found that to be very enjoyable. I went to bed that night, glad that nothing bad had happened to me.

The next three weeks went on in a typical way. He left during the day while I cooked and cleaned. At night, Miori was silent. It was so peaceful, almost like living alone.

We shared a bed, but he never touched me. The thought never seemed to cross his mind. And so, I began to relax. Maybe our relationship could work if it continued in this manage-free way. But we both know that things never work out the way that we want them to. The way that we need them to.

He came home exactly three weeks After our marriage. he was angry and screaming at me. Apparently, I was not fulfilling my wifely duty. I remember him grabbing me by my dress and slamming me into the wall. "What duty?" I screeched. Of course, I knew that he meant. At that time, a wife had three very important roles. She cooked, She cleaned, and She bore the children.

The one thing that I had yet to do. I didn't know exactly what was going to happen to me, but I knew that it would be painful. He laid me down on the bed, pulled down his pants and shoved into me repeatedly. My eyes teared up from the pain and fear that was bubbling up into my chest.

You may ask what I did. The answer is nothing. I laid there, silently crying. Here, all of my strength meant nothing. He was stronger and ready to use that if necessary.

Finally, he reached his conclusion and roiled off of me. He just fell asleep like nothing had happened to me. I laid there, and just stared at his rising and falling chest. I was silently contemplating the best way to kill the man. I quickly tried to banish that thought. After all, I'm a young woman. If I killed him then I may be put in jeopardy.

I couldn't kill him. No, I just couldn't let him do it again. But he was so much stronger than I was. For the next tow nights, he had his way with me, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. After that third night, I gathered my things while he was away. IT was so easy to sneak out. To this day, I still ask myself why I didn't leave that first night. It was n't anything as foolish as love. Rather it was conformity.`

In that time, women were wives. We did little outside of that. To leave Miori was to be a rebel, to be at the mercy of anyone who was to take me in. And you know what they said, better the devil that you know than the one that you don't. But three strikes and you're out. Third time's the charm. Basically, After the third time, I realized that his was not for me. Never have I been docile and easy and I refused to be it then.

I ran as far and as fast as I could before collapsing. I remember being found by a man who too, me back to his home. I remember how afraid I was that he would hurt me. That he would touch me. He just chuckled, and said, "Don't worry. You're safe, little fox." Something about his voice... it was so soothing. So calm.

"Th-th-thank you," I murmured back. He smiled at me and told me all about himself. I never gave him any details because I was afraid that he was going to tty to send me back.

I could tell that he knew what I was doing and didn't mind. In fact, he offered to teach me about plants. Or rather ordered. "You're not just going to loaf here. I'll teach you a trade. Plants perhaps?" I agreed somewhat half-heartedly. I was not spoiled, but found that I was unused to physical work. On the other hand, I was... excited to have my very own skill. My own worth.

"Wonderful," he beamed. The very next day, he took me outside and began to teach me the names of plants and what they did. Needless, to say, the man was very impressed with my ability to absorb knowledge.

"You're so good, I should make you my new apprentice."

"But I'm a girl," I reminded him.

He winked, letting me know that he knew that he was breaking the rules and just didn't care. "I don't care what kind of genitalia you have as long as you keep up with the results."

I blushed, but grinned happily. He taught me, and I learned everything as soon as it was presented. For the next year, I learned my craft and learned it well. And all the while, the shaman and I grew closer. He was almost like my surrogate father.

One night as we sat down to the dinner that he had prepared, he asked me a question. "What happened to you?"

For a moment, I considered not telling him anything. Why should I? That's when I thought of all of the things that he had said to be... and that's when I realized that I trusted him. Trust. You can't lie to someone who you trust. So, I told him everything. About halfway through, the tears sprang to my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks. The old shaman wrapped his arms around me, stroking my back in a fatherly way. When I was all cried out, he just held me. "You're okay."

"Thank you," I murmured. "I suppose that I'm just being weak and overly sensitive."

That's when he asked me a question that forever changed my life and shaped me into the person that I am today. "What do you think will make you stronger?"

I had to think about it for about half of a second. "Women aren't strong now. Only men have strength and control."

He smiled at me sadly. I knew that he saw me like his daughter and would never want me to feel so... beaten. "And what if I could give you that power, that control?"

The way that he spoke... it was so sure. So confident. He meant what he was saying. "And how can you do that?"

"Let me teach you about a little plant that I know of." To make a very long story short, I spent a year learning about the plant of Dreams and Desires and what it could do. It was a difficult subject, but so interesting to learn about.

"I think you're ready,"? he told me one day. It was excited knowing exactly what he meant. We traveled for days to the banks of the rivers. He told me to drink, bathe, and sleep on the banks. I remember laughing at him. After all, I had memorized the process and could say it backwards and forwards.

Anyway, I did as instructed and slept deeply. When I woke up the next morning, I knew exactly what I was looking for. It was easy for me to find the plant and grind it up as I had been instructed. Mixing that with some other plant extracts and the water from the rivers. I had a powerful concoction. Of course, I was nervous. What could go wrong was dancing through my mind.

But the want was worth the risk. So, I drank the whole glass. Smoke oozed out of my pores and surrounded me. It was so thick that even I could not see what was going on. When it finally cleared, I was standing in the exact same place. Glancing down, I immediately noticed the difference. My breasts were gone to reveal a flat, chiseled chest. And I could even feel the tell-tale sign between my legs. It was official, I was a man. "Well, I see your transportation was successful," he grinned in pride. "What is your name?" he asked in a different tone.

And the words came to my lips before I could even think about them. "I am Youko Kurama." My voice was deep and erotically sexy. It was the type of smooth voice that would drive people insane.

"Welcome Youko," he replied, shaking my hand for the first time. Usually, it was a hug or a gently pat on the shoulder, but this was an actual handshake. It was monumental. It marked me as a true man.

"Thank you."

He smiled slightly, tears pooling in his hazel eyes. He reached behind him and pulled a knapsack out. He handed it to me, and said, "Good-bye, young fox. I hope you find what you are looking for."

I was baffled. I had never planned on leaving. I had never planned on moving on. I just wanted to know that I had some small hold on some small bit of power, no matter how insignificant it seemed. "What do you mean?"

"I've taught you everything that I can. Now I'm letting you go to live your own life," he explained. "Go and seek your fortune.

I felt tears pressing behind my eyes, but I pushed it down. After all, I knew that men did not cry due to something so sentimental. "And if I don't want to leave you?"

"You have to." And his voice and eyes softened with kindness. "After you've made a life for yourself or if you need me then come and seek me out. I'll be there for my dau- son."

"I will," I promised. Tears were sparkling in both of our eyes as he turned and walked away. And you know the rest of the story. I became the legendary their, Youko Kurama. I went on a rampage of thievery with my merry band of assistants for years. Until eventually, I ran afoul the wrong demon. I managed to escape by faking my own death and exiling myself to the human world for what was supposed to be ten years. However, it ended up stretching on to sixteen and now even longer.

Obviously, you know the rest of my story. Hiei tracked me down, and led me to Yusuke. From there on our, our lives were tangled together and will most likely continue to be. And now we know each other's secrets. I suppose it's time for me to ask the age-old question. What shall we do now?

**A/n:**

**Whoo-hoo! Chapter 9! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way. It won't be too long, but it should be just long enough to resolve everything.**

**I'm going to keep updating as soon as I possibly can which isn't very often because of computer issues, AP classes, and Band. Hopefully I'll get it worked out soon.**

**Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	10. Planning

Chapter 10

Planning Time

_RECAP:_

_ And you know the rest of the story. I became the legendary their, Youko Kurama. I went on a rampage of thievery with my merry band of assistants for years. Until eventually, I ran afoul the wrong demon. I managed to escape by faking my own death and exiling myself to the human world for what was supposed to be ten years. However, it ended up stretching on to sixteen and now even longer. Obviously, you know the rest of my story. Hiei tracked me down, and led me to Yusuke. From there on our, our lives were tangled together and will most likely continue to be. And now we know each other's secrets. I suppose it's time for me to ask the age-old question. What shall we do now?_

**Third Person POV:**

Touya looked at the girl that was lying down, curled in on herself. She looked almost like she was about to fall apart. What could be done to help her? Could Touya even manage to help herself? "I'm not sure. I suppose the real question is: are you happy with being a female again?"

Kurama stopped a moment to think. She was a woman, but her only experience had taught her one thing. Women were weak. They were taken advantage of and mis used. Whow could ever be happy about being that? "No. It makes me feel weak."

"Okay," the ice demon sighed. She had just hit a very solid brick wall. She had to get the fox back to the living world and honor her wishes to remain in secret. She had to do her best to change the fox back, and she had to do it as quickly as possible. "Does anyone else know about the plant and its properties?"

"No. The shaman is the only demon besides myself who knows anything about it."

"Ahh, too bad," the young girl lamented. She would go anywhere to get her friend some help with this. But if this shaman was anything like Kurama had said, then she was sure that if he was alive he'd be impossible to find. "If you knew where the shaman was then you could get him to help you."

And a spark lit up from behind the fox's bright colored eyes. That was it. That was the perfect idea. "I can contact him."

"How?" Touya asked, wondering why she hadn't all ready thought of it. Perhaps it was her emotional overload. Perhaps she was going into a type of shock that was slowing her usually immediate reaction time.

Kurama took her hand and began rifling through her hair until she finally hit something hard and round. A seed. She grinned as she plucked it out of her hair. "This is the answer to my little problem," she said happily.

Touya looked at the small seed skeptically. Could it really be as powerful as she said? Yes, she had seen Kurama do some amazing things with plants, but surely even she couldn't do anything that monumental with just a seed. "What does that do?" Though at the same time, she trusted the fox and all of her knowledge.

"The original owner endows it with some if his or her energy before giving it to a second person. When that person adds their energy then it will track down the original owner and delivers a message."

Wow. All of that from what seemed like a simple seed. No wonder, Kurama loved dealing with seeds so much. It seemed like it would be a lot easier than some of the demons that Touya had been forced to work with during her Shinobi days. "Really? So, I suppose you'll send a message to the shaman?"

The fox nodded, summoning up a small portion of her demon energy and pushing it into the seed. A tiny green sprout erupted from the small seed. It steadily grew and enlarged under the direction of the fox's power. Finally, the plant was fully grown. Its stem was long and thick. The roots tapped restlessly on the dirt floor of the cave, wanting to ease down into the ground. Its petals were a deep purple and reminded Touya of a Venus flytrap. Beautiful yet startlingly dangerous.

"Tracker, do your duty and deliver the following message: Shaman, you know who I am. I need you to come to me as soon as is demonically possible. Follow the tracker and you will find me where ever I am. I look forward to speaking with you again, and until then, good-bye." As soon as Kurama said this, the plant turned and scuttled quickly towards the door. Now, Touy just hoped that the man would return soon and help with the problem.

"Well, that 's about half of our overall problem solved," the ice master sighed. Ah, they had so much to do in so little time.

"And the rest of our problem would be?"

"Getting you back to Human World without everyone finding you out."

"Ahh," she sighed. Kurama hadn't thought about that. Her only thoughts were about reverting back to her masculine form. After all, if that happened, then everything else would fall into place. Wouldn't it?

"What about your mother?" Touya asked, knowing that was the fox's first priority.

"I can extend her trip with little difficulty," she nodded to herself. It does pay to know the proprietor of such a business where it was possible to shorten and extend the trip of one's parent with only the promise of a larger currency exchange.

Touya was somewhat impressed with her ingenuity, but not surprised. Kurama always planned for every eventuality. Though obviously she had no plan in case of this scenario. Who would expect such a thing to happen? This was all new territory for the both of them, and so far it was not proving to be easy. "Okay, how are you going to handle the Yusuke and Kuwabara situation?"

And once again, the cunning fox had a plan. "I'll hide, of course. Jin should be able to kept he pair of them entertained, if you can manage to spare him, that is."

The ice master grimaced at her companion. There was always some dig about her relationship with Jin. Her friends all seemed to think that she could not possibly peel herself from his side. She always protested. She was independent. Not that it mattered to her what they thought, she loved the man and was always near him by choice, not necessity. "Very cute," she commented. "Don't worry, it won't be a problem." Of course not. He would do anything for her.

"Excellent," the kitsune grinned.

"I wouldn't cheer just yet. We still have a few problems that need to be rectified before we can do anything."

"Such as?"

"Where do you plan on staying until your friend comes?" An important question.

One that she had only briefly thought of in passing. "Here, if possible." It may not be the most comfortable, but it wasn't the worse place that she had ever been. Besides, it was much safer for her to be away from her friends, who would get suspicious if she was gone too long.

The ice demon frowned. "I'm sorry, but that won't work. Your feminine smell mixed with the scent of flowers, mixed with the left over male hormones'll make you almost irresistible to all males in the area. In fact, I'm surprised that we haven't been surrounded yet."

Kurama nodded. It was one of the cons of her lifestyle. After working with plants, she often smelled like a garden. Both she and her scent were very attractive to males of her species, and would lead to problems in Demon world. Her only chance of staying relatively unscathed was to return to Human World. "Very well. I suppose we really must return home."

Her friend agreed quickly. There was nothing else for it. They would have to return, and that brought yet another question to the front of her mind. "What about Hiei?"

Hiei. The only unaccounted thing. The only part of her life that had not been planned out perfectly. The only part of her life that _**couldn't**_ be planned out perfectly. "I...I don't know," she admitted. And she hated it. She had to know what to do and how to do it. If she didn't have control then she was just that same weak woman that she had been back then. And she refused to be that person ever again. Life had changed her, and she was no one's foot stool anymore.

Touya could sense her frustration. She could even understand it, but knew that emotions would only complicate things right now. And the last thing that they needed were more complications."That's fine. We can just try to keep you inside of your home."

"Very good, except for the fact that Hiei _**will**_ stop by to visit, or rather, harass me."

Damn. The ice master knew that, but once again had selectively ignored the things that would make life more difficult. "Fine. We'll run interference. Keep you safely away. Etc."

"I think I have a much better idea. I can use a seed to block my scent. We'll sneak in, and it'll seem like I'm not even home yet."

Her friend stared at her in amazement. "And you didn't think of this before?"

The fox looked down at herself in embarrassment. "In my present condition, I didn't want to risk anymore contamination that would complicate things when I attempt to return to normal. However, it seems that I have no other choice."

"Fine," Touya agreed. "You'd better get some more sleep. We leave at first light."

Kurama nodded and laid back down on the cot. At this point in time, she was too full of pent up worry to really sleep. But on the other hand, she needed to rest or she would be worthless in the morning. She sighed and huffed, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Ugh, she could tell that it was going to be an extremely long night...

**A/n:**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter10! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way**

** Thanksgiving Break, so I'll try to update a lot this week. Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_**Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	11. Arrival at Home

Chapter 11

Arriving At Home

_RECAP:_

_ "Fine," Touya agreed. "You'd better get some more sleep. We leave at first light."_

_ Kurama nodded and laid back down on the cot. At this point in time, she was too full of pent up worry to really sleep. But on the other hand, she needed to rest or she would be worthless in the morning. She sighed and huffed, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Ugh, she could tell that it was going to be an extremely long night..._

**Third Person POV:**

Youka Kurama awakened to find herself still in the cave. She could not wait to leave so that perhaps these memories could be left here as well. But for now, she was left lying on her back on the cot contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Which were as follows:

Touya was a woman. She had hidden it just like the fox had. However, Touya seemed to have no shame about her 'problem'. She was simply a woman. Albeit one with a loving boyfriend who was willing to pretend to be gay for her. The word 'devotion' didn't even begin to describe it. No, perhaps 'love' was the true noun that could describe it. Love. Something that the kitsune was not very familiar with.

You look at Touya then you look at Kurama. The fox was so uncomfortable. Her usual suave grace had evaporated to be replaced by fearful insecurities. She was weak, but she whole-heartedly refused to let this continue. She was going to stand up and regain whatever tenuous grasp she had had on control. After all, who was she without her control? It was the only thing that had kept her sane in the old days, and it was the only thing that could keep her sane now.

"Kurama?" Touya called from the back of the cave, snapping the fox's concentration. "Are you ready to go yet?"

"Yes, I'm ready," she responded, getting up from the cot and grabbing the bag that Touya had retrieved for her. She was as ready as she would ever be. There was no reason to try to stall the inevitable. If not now then it would be later.

"Are you sure that you're ready?" this time the ice demon's questions were layered with concern and worry about her friend's well being. She could see that the fox was unraveling around the edges, and she was trying her best to put her back together. Or rather to just keep her from completely dissolving.

"Honestly, no, but I can't stay here like this." she gestured down at her curves, also implying the scent that she was carrying.

She chuckled softly. "They'd eat you alive." And they would. Her pheremones were being pumped at an accelerated rate, and she smelled delectable to any male that would come around her. It was as near as she had been to coming into heat. She smelled of females, males, and flowers. Anyone within a hundred miles could smell her like she was right in front of her. Her scent... it was intoxicating. She was lucky that no males had tried to make a claim yet. That would make things even more difficult.

The ice demon flashed another grin before taking off at full speed out of the cave. She'd never admit it, but she was also glad to leave so that she could be closer to Jin. After all, being away from him left her feeling like she had left a part of herself behind.

The fox rolled her eyes and quickly caught up, matching her pace with her friend's. The two ran, trees whipping past them, but nothing could bother the two of them as they made their way towards their home.

They continued speeding up slightly, making it to the entrance of the Living World within a day and a half. "Slower than usual," the female fox remarked, while her companion just rolled her eyes. She could tell that this type of behavior was going to become standard. The cockiness was coming back, and she didn't know whether or not to be happy or disappointed. "Let's just get you home."

And for the first time that night, the fox felt nervous. It was one thing to have fears in far-away Demon world, but it was quite another to walk home and blindly hope that things would just work out. 'Blindly hoping' was for fools, and for once Youko, now Youka, Kurama was the fool. And needless to say, she didn't like it. She wanted, no needed to have control. She needed to be strong.

Her footsteps faltered and she stood nervously wringing her hands. This was it. There was no turning back .One she got home then she had to take any and everything that came her way. There was no manual or socially acceptable alternative this time. No, it was just Kurama and Touya now.

The fox did not answer, but instead chose to take off, towards home. Touya grinned. This was more like the Kurama that she knew and loved so much. Ready and willing.

**Fifteen Minutes Later:**

Kurama looked up at her home. The same place that she left. Somehow, the building seemed both welcoming and foreboding at the same time. Perhaps it was just the dark cloak of night. Or perhaps it was a sense of foreshadowing. Regardless, the girl chewed her lip nervously, but climbed the steps and unlocked the door before entering the dark hallway.

The small ice demon followed her friend. She was not an empath by any means, but even she could feel the breakdown that was coming. Touya didn't want to say it out loud, but she, herself, couldn't take that. The closest thing that she could contribute it to was that Kurama was strong. One of the strongest demons that she knew. To see the fox break down was almost like seeing a part of herself fall away. And if that happened, then perhaps the rest would also crumble like a wall. It was selfish, but she couldn't break either.

Touya said nothing, but put her arms around the fox's waist. She patted her back gently and led her friend to her bedroom. She got the kitsune to the bed, and covered her up. Youka curled herself into the fetal position, staring at the wall. Tears coursed down her cheeks, but she remained silent. "Go to sleep," the ice demon urged gently. "Let it all go."

Kurama obliged closing her eyes and just... slipped away from it all. Touya continued patting her back, and knowing that the next few days could quite possibly be the worst of the young fox's life. Correction. Would be the worst of the young fox's life. The ice demon's only real hope was that they all came out of it with as little damage as possible. Though, some part of her could tell that something was about to completely change for their group. She just hoped against all odds that she was wrong and that everything would work out. Well, a girl could dream anyways...

**A/n:**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter 11! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way.**

** Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_** Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	12. Promises

Chapter 12

Promises

_RECAP:_

_ Touya said nothing, but put her arms around the fox's waist. She patted her back gently and led her friend to her bedroom. She got the kitsune to the bed, and covered her up. Youka curled herself into the fetal position, staring at the wall. Tears coursed down her cheeks, but she remained silent. "Go to sleep," the ice demon urged gently. "Let it all go."_

_ Kurama obliged closing her eyes and just... slipped away from it all. Touya continued patting her back, and knowing that the next few days could quite possibly be the worst of the young fox's life. Correction. Would be the worst of the young fox's life. The ice demon's only real hope was that they all came out of it with as little damage as possible. Though, some part of her could tell that something was about to completely change for their group. She just hoped against all odds that she was wrong and that everything would work out. Well, a girl could dream anyways..._

**Third Person POV:**

Kurama's eyes shifted warily, following Touya's prowling figure as she paced the length of her friend's room for about the thousandth time that morning. "Touya," the fox snapped peevishly. "Stop pacing!"

The ice demon halted mid-step, not very much surprised by her friend's ferocious outburst. It was only her third, besides female foxes were known to be quite temperamental. "I'm sorry. I suppose I'm just a bit nervous." 'A bit' being a gross understatement on her part.

The kitsune chuckled into her hand. "Nervous? You're going to see Jin, the love of your life. What's there to be nervous about?" Kurama did not quite understand the concept of a 'loving' romantic relationship. It just wasn't what she cared about, but she could appreciate the humor in her friend's situation. One being afraid to see their 'other half'? It was funny to say the least.

"I do have to keep them from suspecting you, don't I?" she snapped back. This whole plan was risky enough without sarcastic, witty comments to distract her from her duties. And goodness knew that it would take all of her focus to pull this one off. Especially since the fox wouldn't be there to keep her from slipping up.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "Continue."

The ice master sighed. And to think: she'd thought that Kurama was frustrating before... "Good-bye Kurama!" she waved before leaving as quickly as she possibly could. She would worry about her friend, but really needed to escape her company for at least a short while.

**MEANWHILE:**

In a house not very far away sat three teenagers. To casually look at these boys would be to see any number of friends from anywhere in the world. Yet, if one was to look closely, they would see more than they expected to.

The first boy, sitting perched on a chair, was a tall muscular man with a red pompadour hair cut. He is almost exactly what he seemed to be. Human, strong, slightly punkish and, overly cocky in his blue, school jumpsuit. Yet there was an undetectable awareness about him that one just could not place with the individual's appearance.

The second teen had bright unnatrually bright red hair, and seemed just as normal. Until you noticed the small horn protruding from his forehead and the fact that he was floating crosslegged in mid-air. So, he wasn't a normal boy... rather a demon fighter from Demon world, ex-Shinobi warrior, and wind master. Same thing really when it came down to Jin and his gentle attitude towards life.

The third teen was perhaps the most misleading of them all. His relaxed posture on the bed combined with his gelled black hair, muscular physique, and bad boy attitude would leave you with the impression that he's just some punk. Yes, he is a punk, but he is also the Spirit Detective, multiple-time savior of the Living World, winner of the Dark Tournament, and descendant of the Mazoku. And of course he was also an uncontrollable teenage boy. "So..." the black haired teen trailed off. "What's it like to date a dude?" he chuckled to himself, knowing that he could get a rise out of his friends one way or another.

Kazuma Kuwabara jerked up right, clearly startled. After all, there were some things that a guy just didn't think about, and definitely didn't ask out loud.

On the other hand, Jin just sighed in exasperation. "Ah Urameshi. Ya'd think ya were interested in us, ya would." The large red-headed man chuckled dryly to himself as he saw the startled face that the teen was making.. Ha. That was exactly what Yusuke deserved.

"What? No way. I'm not into that..." the punk spluttered. After all, one could ask anyone: Keiko was the only girl for him. Emphasis on the world 'girl'.

"Ah, tis no shame in bein' curious," he chuckled.

"I'm not curious!" He waved his fists at the wind demon as he became frustrated. That was not something that he wanted on his reputation.

"Just stop askin' questions, Urameshi," Kuwabara advised. He could not stand to see another of the long, drawn out fights that always went on between the two. Yes, he and Yusuke fought almost every day, but these were different. Jin had a way of actually having a chance and that defintitely didn't do much for the larger boy's self-esteem.

"Whatever," Yusuke submitted huffily, staring back up at the ceiling, knowing that he had temporarily lost the battle, but he still had hope for the war.

Jin chuckled quietly to himself. If there was one thing that he knew, it was how to be annoying. And if there was another, then it was how to shut up equally annoying people. After all, his relationship was _**his**_ relationship and not the business of any third party observer. Especially not Yusuke Urameshi.

All of the boys sat, engrossed in their own silent musings. Kuwabara was thinking of quiet blissful things like his kitten and of course, Yukina. He still didn't know who her brother was, but was still determined to find him. He would do anything for her. Anything. Hell, he'd even be best friends with Hiei if she asked. Well, maybe not that...

Jin's flighty mind was currently occupied with thoughts of his blue haired significant other. They had not been apart in years. It was almost like he was missing a piece of himself. The best piece that was nearest to his heart. Sure, spending time with Yusuke was fun, but it didn't hold a candle to spending time with his Touya. Nothing could be as passionate, as emotional, as fun as Touya. Not to mention the way the ice demon's lips felt... Nothing could compare to that.

Yusuke's thoughts were along the same lines. Though his were about Keiko and how... wonderful she was. Her funny comments, her stern looks, her hot body... those long legs that went on forever, that tight, firm butt, and those boobs...However, his mind immediately switched trains of thoughts when a certain part of his body began to react. Suddenly his thoughts were of anything to stop his rather large problem. So, he just did what he normally did when he wanted to hide something embarassing. Namely, blurt out the first ting that came to his mind. "So, who tops?" And the thought of that was enough to quail his rising issue.

"Wha' kinda question is that?" spluttered the wind master. He was rambunctious, yes, but even he had a point that he would not pass. That particular discussion was _**way**_ past the point of no return. "Wha' if I asked ya' about yer human girl's activities?"

"Not cool man," Yusuke blushed profusely. What could he say? He didn't want to admit it but he didn't know what position Keiko would take since she was stuck on this whole 'getting married first' thing. Something that he wasn't really into. Not yet anyway. Meaning that the only action that he got was from his right hand.

"Ya started it."

He was well aware of this, but not one to be wrong, Yusuke had to protest. "No, you did."

"Ya did!"

"You did!" The two faced off in a stand off so fiercely that neither noticed the window open and a small blue-headed boy enter. Or at least they didn't notice until he began to speak.

"Actually, Yusuke, you did start it. As usual," Touya grinned at his friend's look of surprise and chagrin.

Jin, on the other hand, had _**no**_ problems expressing his joy. Jin reached out, hugging his friend close to his broad chest and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Ah Touy. I missed ya." And he did. That hole in his chest was now filled. Touya was back and he was a complete person once again.

"Gross," the other two teens groaned. They found it much too... gushy for them. Boys were supposed to be masculine and tough not all over each other like that.

Yet the couple didn't care what the others had to say about it. They had eyes only for each other. "Did you miss me, Jin?"

"Course I did, Touy. I didn't stop missin' ya."

"Hey," Yusuke interrupted rudely. After all, there was nothing worse than being ignored in your own home. Not to mention the fact that they were in his own room. "There are other people here."

The ice demon blushed, but turned to face the room's other occupants. "Sorry, Yusuke. I got a bit carried away."

"Yeah, we noticed," Kuwabara shuddered as delicately as a man of his size could. He was not homophobic in any way, but hated almost any type of public display of affection. In his mind, some things were just meant to be private. And kissing was definitely one of those things.

"I apologize."

"Accepted," the black haired teen nodded. "So, what's up with our favorite fox?"

Touya's first thought was that they had somehow found out about events of the trip. But thankfully, logic prevailed and he realized that it was just one of those typical human civility questions. "He's wonderful."

"Well then, where's the bastard at?"

An expected question which he had thankfully come up with an answer to. "Still in Demon World. He was still working with a plant that can only survive there, and sent me to reassure you that _**he**_ is coming back soon," Touya lied with the practiced skill of a Shinobi Warrior.

"Good for him," Kuwabara shrugged. Sure, he missed the fox, but he knew how Kurama could be... determined. He was not coming back until he had done everything that he had wanted to do, and there was no rushing him back until then. So, they were just going to have to miss him for a little while longer.

"Yes it is," Touy smiled serenely from the crook of Jin's arm. It felt nice. That was where he belonged, and where he wanted to be. As soon as this 'Kurama thing' was over, he planned on spending a lot of time right there.

"Ay Touy. Why don't we go outside fer a minute?"

The ice demon readily agreed, much to the disgust of the other two present. "Hey! I'd better not walk outside and find anything sticky," Urameshi called out to the departing backs of his friends, only half joking.

"So," Jin trailed off, not sure of how to start the conversation that he needed to have with his lover.

Luckily, Touya was the communicative one in the relationship, and knew exactly what needed to be said. "Listen, Jin, I know that you know that I was lying." And it was part of the combined curse and blessing of finding your other half. One, they completely know you. It was great at times, but there were still other times when you wish that you could just lie. Not to hurt them, but rather to keep them from being hurt.

"A course. Ya had yer Shinobi face on there. Is it about Kurama? Is he hurt?" The 'Shinobi face'. One of the many things that they had to learn was how to lie convicingly. There was a certain mode that the shinobi went into to achieve this lying, and Touya had always been fairly good at it.

"No, he's fine, but I made a promise to him ,and that's all that I can tell you." The young ice demon's face was full of indecision. A part of him wanted to let Jin help, but the other part needed to be faithful to one of his dearest friends. He knew that Jin would understand that, so the faithful part of himself won out.

"Tha's fine, it is. I understand." And just to make things normal... he decided to completely change the subject. "Ow's old Demon World?"

"Bright, foreboding. Exactly how we left it," Touy responded, his mind still somewhat back, where he had came from. "Jin, do you ever think about going back?" Their move to the light had been mainly Touya's choice, and he always worried that his friend may not enjoy it as much as he himself did. That perhaps Demon world was the place that he preferred to be in.

"Do ya miss it?" the wind demon asked. He knew that Touya hated when people answered questions with more questions, but this time it was actually fitting for the situation.

The smaller demon didn't even have to think about it. "No." And he didn't. Demon world was just an inconvenient container for all of his bad memories from the tattered rag that he had called a childhood. The only high point of said childhood was standing beside him.

"Neither do. I told ya, I'll folla ya anywhere. Wherever ya are is where my light is." And he meant it.

The blue-haired man's face turned a deep red. Ugh, only Jin could get such a reaction from him. Usually, he was so dignified, but Jin had a way of making him so... vulnerable. "Thanks Jin," he mumbled. "I'll see you soon." Hopefully.

"Yer leavin' already? We've barely gotten to talk, we have." Needless to say, Jin was not happy about that. Yusuke was his close friend, but he almost _**needed**_ to spend some time with Touya. Okay, no 'almost' about it. He did _**need**_ to talk to his significant other. Like a fish needed water.

"I know, but Kurama needs me more right now. I'll be back as soon as all of this blows over."

"Kay. What can I do for ya?"

Touya paused for a second, knowing that Jin would do his best to stick to his job. "Keep Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei away from Kurama's house until I come and tell you otherwise."

The red-head nodded in response, his face suddenly becoming serious. "I can feel the wind changin' Touy. Something's comin', it is. Right for ya'. Ya'd better be careful." As a wind master, Jin could easily tell when a change was on the way and when it was here. If he said so, then the ice master had better be careful. Whatever was going on with Kurama was either going to harmlessly blow over, or sweep them both under its spell. Either way, they had better be prepared.

"I will, I promise." He stood up on his toes and planted a soft, little kiss on his lover's cheek. "See you soon. I love you."

"Love you too," Jin waved sadly, watching his lover walk away and feeling sick in the very pit of his stomach. Whatever was coming was coming and he prayed that Touya wouldn't be hurt. He didn't know what he would do if his lover was. Would there even be a point to life anymore? The wind master highly doubted it. After all, Touya _**was **_his life.

**A/n:**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter 12! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way.**

** Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_** Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	13. Shaman

Chapter 13

The Shaman

**Third Person POV:**

It had been two weeks since Kurama had sent out the tracking plant. And things had sort of assumed a type of normality. Jin kept Yusuke and Kuwabara well away from the fox's house. Hiei stayed away because he could not find the fox's scent, and Kurama spent her days talking to Touya.

However, as time went on she grew antsy. Why was the shaman taking so long? Would he even come? What if he didn't? And that was the point that Touya decided that she had to bring up. "Kurama, he hasn't sent any word. Why don't I go try to find him?"

The fox chuckled derisively. "You don't even know what he looks like. Besides, if he doesn't want to be found then even I can't do anything to locate him."

Touya's face fell as she looked at the curvaceous fox girl. "Youka, I really think you should consider what you'll do if the shaman doesn't come."

The kitsune's eyes flared with anger. "He'll come," she stated fiercely. "He has to." And her voice sank back down into despair. She curled up in her bed, refusing to talk about it any more.

The ice master sighed to herself. When Kurama got into one of her moods, there was nothing to do, but let her ruminate in it until she realized how ridiculous she was being.

THREE DAYS LATER:

Touya was on the verge of being both seriously annoyed and seriously worried. For the past few days, Kurama had been pacing back and forth. She stared at the wall and ate little. The ice demon liked to think that she was thinking about what had been said. But she seriously doubted it. Right now, Youka was being fueled on the hope that things could go back to normal. Well, what they had thought of as normal. What she really needed was to be forcibly brought back to reality.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knocking from the front door. "I'll get it," she called, running to the door.

She pulled it open and saw an old man standing there. He was tall and stood erect, his glistening silver hair pulled back into a ponytail that went down to his waist. His golden eyes, holding the secrets of the ages. His clothes, white and tailored to fit with loose pants and a dress kimono. As she looked, Touya thought that the man looked like a fairy tale character, though she doubted that he was one of the heroes.

The man said nothing, pushing himself into the house, much to Touya's annoyance. "Excuse me sir, but what do you want?"

The man looked bored as though he had been through this a million times. Though with his age, he probably had. "I am looking for the other female that has taken up residency here."

Touya looked at the man strangely. This could be the shaman except for the complete lack of demon energy. From what reading Touya was getting off of him, he was no more than a normal human being. "There is no one else here who would care to see you."

The man's eyes sharpened, his face twisting into a humorless smirk. "Young Koorime, let me see the fox," he ordered, losing all sense of joviality.

Touya was now sure that the man in front of him was the mysterious shaman, but he had to be completely sure. "What do you want? And who are you?" she demanded.

The man chuckled to himself. "Step out of the way, young lady." Obviously, he was the type of man that was used to getting what he wanted. Well, Touya would be damned if she'd let an unknown stranger in to see Kurama.

During all of this posturing, neither individual had noticed the fox's barefoot padding down the hall. She stopped in shock when she saw the old man standing in the doorway. "Shaman!" she said, causing the two in front of her to whip around.

Touya was surprised. Getting the fox out of her room for anything but hygienic reasons had become almost impossible in the past few weeks.

The shaman on the other hand was grinning, arms outstretched. Youka grinned, stepping into his embrace and squeezing him tightly. "I see you have reverted back to your original form," he commented.

She nodded. "I need to speak with you about this."

"Very well. Do you have somewhere that we can go to discuss this?"

The fox nodded again, leading him into her kitchen. Touya trailed behind, watching the man's eyes take everything in. The ice master didn't know what it was, but she couldn't trust the older man. Perhaps it was his shifty eyes, or perhaps it was how he had seen right through her disguise.

"First things first, I'd like some tea," he said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Ice demon, hot rose tea. Now."

Touya looked affronted. Did he just demand that she make him tea? Was she supposed to be his maid? "Please, Touya?" Kurama begged. Only her friend's plea. At least that's what she told herself as she bumbled about to make the tea.

After that was settled, Kurama turned her full attention to the shaman. As she looked at him ,she realized that she looked exactly the same as he had all those years ago. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"I haven't," he smirked, looking her up and down. "But you have."

She blushed, well aware of her body. The curvaceous hips, the perky breasts. "I have and that's why I called you. I require your assistant in getting me back to normal."

Just then, Touya reappeared with two tea cups. The first one she sat down in front of the shaman. And the next one in front of Youka. She then proceeded to settle herself as close to Kurama and as far from the Shaman as she could get.

"I'd be happy to help, but first..." And he turned towards Touya, his eyes cold. "Leave, ice demon."

Touya stared right back. She had tried to be respectful, but enough was enough. Luckily, Kurama interrupted before she could say anything. "Touya is one of my closest friends. She may hear anything that passes between us."

The old man shook his head, a bit disappointed with the company that his child was keeping. "I respect your decision. Now, to see what is causing this problem I need to examine you." He said, so calmly and tranquilly. To Youka it raised no red flags, but there was something that the ice demon just didn't trust about that man.

"What do you need?" the fox asked.

"You must lie down on some sort of bed or pallet," he told her, assuming the tone of a physician.

The fox stood and led the man down the hall to her bedroom. Though it had been almost a century since she had seen the men, she still trusted him. After all, if he had wanted to destroy both her and Touya, then he could have done so quite easily. Besides, he cared for the fox. He cherished her like she was his own, and would never do anything to hurt her.

Touya sat there for another second, staring in silent anger at the still full teacup before sighing and following the two. At the moment, her friend's safety was much more important than her bruised ego. She was just going to have to hold her emotions in check.

"Remove your clothes," the shaman ordered, brisk and business-like. In his mind, he was simply the doctor who was examining the patient.

But to Touya, this was asking for too much. "Why?"

The shaman sighed. Dealing with questions from inexperienced demons was truly the most trying part of his profession. Everyone thinks that _**they**_ knew what was best and what was 'appropriate'. Everyone except Kurama. That first day that he had stumbled across her, she was so vulnerable. She was guarded, but willing to believe even after all that had happened to her. That freshness was what had caused him to take her in. And now this small demon, who reminded him so much of her dared to think that he would hurt one of the only people that he truly cared about. "I need to examine her. When scanning her body, I pick up on every bit of information. The more clothing, the more information. The more clothing, the more I have to sort through, and it would be very easy to miss some things that are important."

"I thought you were the best," Touy remarked. Normally, she would never deign to be this rude, but she was a believer in treating others the way that they treated her. And since he had arrived, he had done nothing but disrespect her and her role as caretaker and friend. Though, to be fair, her anger was also contributed to the fact that it had been so easy for him to see through her disguise.

"Even the best make mistakes, Shinobi," he remarked dryly. "But if you are so adamant then Youka may keep her base undergarments on."

Touya nodded. That was fine with her. She just couldn't allow her friend to be completely nude around this strange man.

Kurama sighed at the tension charged air. it was obvious why the two could not get along. Touya was asserting herself as protector, a role that the shaman was used to occupying. Both were jealous of the other. In a way, it was ridiculous, because they both meant so much to her. He was her, for lack of a better word, father and Touya was one of her closest friends.

All of this went flashing through her mind as she stripped down to nothing, but a pair of white panties and a white strapless bra. The fox was in no way, shape, or form embarrassed. Nudity was simply an unavoidable part of life.

"Lie down," he ordered. The fox, complied, lying out straight with her arms pulled into her sides. "Ready?"

"Yes," the kitsune said, closing her eyes.

That was all that the shaman needed. He stood over her with his hands out stretched inches from the fox's skin. He pulled forth his demon energy, casting a deep green glow around his hands. Then, he started at her head, moving slowly to her feet. The light bathed Youka's body in a soft green envelope that was slowly analyzing all of her. In some ways, it was an x-ray but it went so much deeper. He could analyze any and all of her systems, and even had the ability to target particular cells.

It was amazing for the ice master to stand, there and see this. For a split second, it seemed like he could make out Kurama's bones and tissues then it would go back to just a light.

As for Kurama, she could feel a tingle over their body from the light. It was everywhere, including outside. For that short time it was like the light was actually a true part of her.

The shaman was so focused on his work. He had to find the exact cause of his child's ailment. He passed, his slow hands over her twice more, trying to detect any abnormalities. There. He moved slowly over her chest, finding a small point of bright red in the fox's aura. There it was.

He knew exactly what was wrong with her. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly let the light dissipate. The fox sat up slowly, suddenly cold from the sudden disappearance of the glow. "What is it?" Youka asked when she had seen the man's troubled face.

"I know exactly what is wrong with you..."

**A/n:**

** Ahhh Cliffie! Don't kill me!**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter 13! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way.**

** Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_** Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	14. The Love Plant

Chapter 14

The Love Plant

_RECAP:_

_ He knew exactly what was wrong with her. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly let the light dissipate. The fox sat up slowly, suddenly cold from the sudden disappearance of the glow. "What is it?" Youka asked when she had seen the man's troubled face._

_ "I know exactly what is wrong with you..."_

**Third Person POV:**

Kurama felt a surge of hope ran through her system. If he knew what was wrong then there had to be a cure. Didn't there? "What is it?"

The shaman fell back into the chair that he had placed behind him. "Examining people always left him feeling a bit... sleepy. "It's very simple. You did not ingest the plant of Dreams and Desires."

Kurama felt her stomach clench. SHe was an expert, and never made such foolish mistakes. After all, there was no way that she could have been such an idiot, was there? "What do you mean? What plant did I ingest?"

"The Love plant, even more rare then the Plant od Dreams and Desires."

"But how? I followed all of the steps. I did everything perfectly."

"You did," the old man nodded. "But the plant that you used was **not** the plant of dreams and desires."

Kurama felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. She was not an idiot by any means. How could she have done something so... foolish? "What?"

"It's quite simple really. Your **mental** desire was to remain as you were. However, your **heart **desired love. And as you know the tuest desires originate from the heart."

"What do you mean? My heart's desires. What does my heart desire?"

The shaman smiled slightly, trying to cushion the blow that wsa sure to stun the young chid. "Well little fox, it would seem that you are in love."

Love? The 'little fox' was reeling. She could not be in lovce. She felt nothing of the sort for any of the men that she had come into contact with. Love? There had to be some sort of mistake. Her mentor _**had**_ to be wrong.

Touya, on the other hand, was very unsurprised. As far as she was concerned, this may actually act to better the fox.

By this time, Kurama had regained her usual sense of composure. She was calm and ready to face whatever may come. At this point, she was prepared to do whatever she had to in orderto go back to who she had been. Namely, the strong and masucline Youko Kurama. "Is there a cure?"

At this, the shaman looked away. THis was the part that he had been dreading. Explaining the cure. "To put it simply, you must find your true love, get him to love you, and then you must break his heart. THat is the only way to break the control that the plant has over you. Once the control is broken, then the plant is reduced to the form of the plant of Dreams and Desires. At that point, then it would be up to you to choose what genter you want to be... permanently."

Permanenly. All solutions had been temporary befre this. Perhaps this was really a blessing in disguise. "How can I find this 'supposed true love?"

Touya snickered from her corner of the room. "You only have to looke to the forest to find Hiei."

A slight blush rushed to the fox's face. "You are mistaken." She turned away. "Shaman, how do I find him?"

He reached into his robe, pulling out a white rose. "This love rose will glow and change to red when you are in the prescence of your true love." He paused. "You make like to konw that while I was examinig you,l I caught a glimpse of something. It wsa a black dragon made of smoke. It's eyes. They were a piercing red that seemed to stare through me with malice."

"Hiei," the ice demon repeated with assurity. At the Dark Tournament, he had felt the same way. THe small man, so full of hatred and scorn towards all.

"No," the fox stated.

The older man felt so much like he was watching children. "Enough! Use the rose and find him."

The fox nodded her head. She was prepared to do whatever it took at this point. "Do I have a time limitation on this?"

"No. Though for your own peace of mind, I would suggest aht you do so as quickly as possible." he paused, smiling slightly. "I must leave for now, but I plan on coming back soon. Here." He pulled a large vial and an envelope from his pocket.

"This vial holds a six month supply of a potion that will make you appear and even smell as the old Kurama. take it once a day, but he warned that it will not work while you are asleep. And the second envelope holds a tracker seed. If you need me before I come back, then you know how to get in touch with me."

"Yes Shaman. I will." The man smiled sown at his daugther. He ruffled her hair and departed through the door.

"So... you have to find your true love..." Touya trailed off, smirking slightly.

"Ungh," she groaned. "I don't even beleive in true love."

"Regardless. You have to find it." She paused for a moment. "So, I take it you'll be visiting Hiei soon." And she barely dodged the pillow that was aimed for her head.

"Hiei is one of my closest friends."

"And Jin was mine," she countered. "So, when do you want to start searching for your soulmate."

"Tomorrow," the fox yawned. "Tomorrow."

Touya felt concern but in her ches.t Ever since the transformation, Kurama had tired so easily. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just tired. Comes with the Shaman's examination." she yawned again. "Though before I sleep, I want to know if you'll help me."

The ice master smiled at her friend. "As if you could get rid of me that easily."

"Can Jin manage to spare you?"

"That depends, can Hiei manage without you?"

"Cute."

"Thank you."

Touya left the room to prepare some sort of meal. Meanwhile, Kurama laid in bed thinking about love. She had never believed in it, and no she was forced to try to find a man. To find him and make him love her. She sat and tried to imagine any man who had caught her fancy, and came up blank. There was no one.

She sighed deeply, and changed her train of thought. She needed to seduce a man and think of the best way to break his heart. Charming.

**A/n:**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter 14! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way.**

** Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_** Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


	15. Back to Living

Chapter 15

Back to Living

_RECAP:_

_ Touya left the room to prepare some sort of meal. Meanwhile, Kurama laid in bed thinking about love. She had never believed in it, and no she was forced to try to find a man. To find him and make him love her. She sat and tried to imagine any man who had caught her fancy, and came up blank. There was no one._

_ She sighed deeply, and changed her train of thought. She needed to seduce a man and think of the best way to break his heart. Charming._

**Third Person POV:**

Youka Kurama woke up with a sense of lightness in her heart for the first time in weeks. She didn't exactly have a plan of action, but she did know what she needed to do. And just that thought was enough to put a smile on her face.

The fox sat up in bed and saw Touya curled up on a pallet on the floor. And she felt bad. She knew that she had been utterly unbearable, but still her friend had put up with all of her mood swings and outbursts. Needless to say, she owed Touya big time. Especially since she was going to have to wake her friend up in five...four...three...two..one.

"Touya," she whispered, and the ice demon's blue eyes popped right open. Shinobi training rule number one: never sleep too deeply.

"What is it, Kurama?" she asked instantly alert.

"How would you like to go and see Jin today?"

Touya could tell that the fox was planning something, so it was best to tread carefully. "I'd like to." Thought it actually was more like she'd _**love **_ to. "What are you going to do while I'm gone?"

Kurama snorted derisively. Did she really think that her friend was going to stay at home like a good little fox? "I'm going with you, of course," she replied.

The ice master was surprised and more than a little concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. I have to go out and find this 'true love' of mine." She paused. "I trust the shaman. He's never given me anything that doesn't work exactly how he said it would."

Touya stopped and remembered the rude, authoritative man. True, he had treated the ice demon like trash, but he had actually seemed to love Kurama. "Fine, but you should at least try it before we leave."

"As though I would do anything else." Kurama opened the envelope. She stuck the seed into her hair. In the second envelope was a purple vial. She opened it carefully so as not to spill a single drop.

She deposited exactly one drop on her tongue. It had a warm, sweet flavor that sent a shudder down her spine. When she looked down, it seemed as though nothing had changed. But to Touya, it was as if her old friend just all of a sudden appeared right in front of her. "Impressive," she commented. "Now shower and let's get going." After all, she could barely wait to get close to Jin again. It had been weeks and the ex-shinobi was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms.

**Thirty Minutes Later:**

The two friends were standing outside of Yusuke's home, but with different feelings about the situation. Touya was excited to be close to Jin again, and was hoping to take a short trip into the forest. Kurama, on the other hand was hoping that things would go over as easy as he thought. The rose was tucked up into his sleeve, and as far as he could tell it was still white.

The fox sighed. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door. As if she was expected, the door flew open to reveal a grinning Yusuke. "Well, look who's finally come back from vacation," he grinned. "I hope you brought me back some souvenirs."

Kurama smiled. She had missed this, just spending time with the people who had become her friends. "Sorry Yusuke, no gifts here."

"Figures," he muttered, a pout adorning his childish face. "Well, come on in." The teen stepped aside, allowing his guests to enter.

Touya's bright eyes darted around as she searched for the thing that meant the most to her. There, levitating in the corner. "Jin," she smiled.

Immediately Jin jumped down and ran to his Touya. He had missed her so much. "Touy," he grinned, hugging her tightly. He spun her around before bringing her back down to the floor and kissing her gently. And then rougher. A lot rougher.

"Hey," Yusuke called. "Keep it PG, geeze."

The fox chuckled, knowing that with these two it was easier said then done. The two had survived so much together. So much so that one was never very far from the other. To ask for anything else was a sure fire way to be disappointed.

"Where's Kuwabara?"

"In my room sulking," he shrugged. The jerk was just mad that he had lost yet another fight. He wasn't surprised, but that didn't stop him from being mad about it. After all, Yusuke was only stronger because he was the Mazoku. "Kuwabara! Get your ass down here!" he yelled.

Seconds later, the red head was traipsing down the hall. "What do ya want Urameshi?" And then his eyes locked on Kurama's unnaturally red head. "Kurama. Where ya been man?"

"I just took a little vacation," the fox replied. She didn't realize just how much she had been missed. It was somewhat nice to have such a warm welcome.

"Yeah, while you were out sunning yourself on some Demon World beach, I've been stuck with these losers and Hiei's being wreaking havoc," the former detective huffed. "Next time you're going out of town, could you at least let him know?"

The fox blushed slightly. She had known that Hiei would be upset, but assumed that he would be used to this by now. After all, she did take a 'vacation' once a year. "What did he do this time?"

"Put it this way, he was even more Hiei-like than usual." Kuwabara growled. He couldn't stand the little midget and didn't see why Kurama was even friends with him. But the thing that made him the angriest.. was that he had to respect the little guy's skills.

She winced knowing exactly how 'Hiei-like' the fire demon could get. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Ugh, you two ought to just bite the bullet, and go out like those two," he said jabbing a finger in the direction of the couple in the corner. "Hey! Got something to share with the rest of us?" The two pulled apart, blushing furiously. "If you're going to slob each other down then take it outside," he ordered to the two. In reality, Yusuke had no problems with their relationship. After all, he was as tolerant as a guy could get. He was just saying that to give them a moment alone, and add comic relief, of course.

"Clever Yusuke," Touya smiled. She had to admit that he was charismatic and entertaining. In fact, he sort of reminded her of Jin. "Did you think to say that on your own or did Kuwabara whisper it into your ear?"

"Ha. Good one, Touy," Jin chuckled. He loved how Touya could put anyone even Yusuke into their place.

"Toy? Is that cause you like to play with his joy stick?" the black haired teen laughed.

"Ay-Urameshi. Why I oughta..." the wind master began.

The fox could tell that they were about to get into one of their famous brawls and she wasn't in the mood for one. Not today. "So," she interrupted. "What did you do while I was gone?"

And so the conversation went on for the next two hours. Yusuke, Jin, and Kuwabara bantered back and forth. Of course, before the end there was a fight. Though it was only a small one involving Kuwabara and Yusuke. It was so normal that it didn't even matter. It brought back a feeling of normality. It was where she belonged, and where she wanted to be. In fact, she was almost sad to leave when the time came. She stood reluctantly and left with Touya right behind her.

"So?" Touya asked. "How does it feel to be back in the world of the living?" Her question was multi-dimensional. They were literally in the 'living world'. But for the first time like her incident, Kurama seemed to be vibrant and alive.

The fox stopped and thought about it for a second. "Good," she smiled. "It feels good."

**A/n:**

** Whoo-hoo! Chapter 15! I hope that it was good and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. It's getting interesting, and hopefully it'll stay that way.**

** Keep reading and I'll keep writing. Oh and remember to review. Flames are welcome. They're what keep me warm and toasty at night. ;) .**

_** Remember: Reviews = happy camper. Happy camper = quicker updates. Quicker updates = you reading more. It's a cycle. Keep it going!**_

**Yours truly, madly, and deeply,**

**Einstinette**


End file.
